Abstract
Introduction: The innate immune system employs C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) to recognize carbohydrate structures on pathogens and self-antigens. The Macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) is a FcRγ-coupled CLR that was shown to bind to mycobacterial cord factor as well as certain fungal species. However, since CLR functions during bacterial infections have not yet been investigated thoroughly, we examined the function of Mincle in Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.
Highlights
Streptococcus pneumoniae frequently colonizes the upper respiratory tract of humans
To analyze whether C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are involved in S. pneumoniae recognition, we performed an initial ELISA screening for CLR binding to heat-killed S. pneumoniae ST3 using a comprehensive library of CLR-Fc fusion proteins [37] (Fig. 1A)
These findings indicate that Macrophage-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) recognizes S. pneumoniae
Summary
Streptococcus pneumoniae frequently colonizes the upper respiratory tract of humans. Depending on the immune status of the host, on preceding viral infections, and on the pneumococcal serotype, this asymptomatic colonization can progress to invasive diseases. These diseases, that include community-acquired pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis, cause significant mortality especially in children and the elderly [1, 2]. Important virulence factors of S. pneumoniae are PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0117022. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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