Abstract
The innate immune system comprises a cellular and a humoral arm. Humoral pattern recognition molecules include complement components, collectins, ficolins, and pentraxins. These molecules are involved in innate immune responses by recognizing microbial moieties and damaged tissues, activating complement, exerting opsonic activity and facilitating phagocytosis, and regulating inflammation. The long pentraxin PTX3 is a prototypic humoral pattern recognition molecule that, in addition to providing defense against infectious agents, plays several functions in tissue repair and regulation of cancer-related inflammation. Characterization of the PTX3 molecular structure and biochemical properties, and insights into its interactome and multiple roles in tissue damage and remodeling support the view that microbial and matrix recognition are evolutionarily conserved functions of humoral innate immunity molecules.
Highlights
Innate immune responses are the first strategies of host defense from invading pathogens and tissue damage
We will review the main biological features of Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) focusing on its structure and involvement in sterile conditions of tissue damage and cancer, and providing evidence that microbial and matrix recognition are evolutionarily conserved properties shared by humoral innate immunity molecules
A low-resolution model based on data from electron microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering shows that eight PTX3 protomers fold into an elongated molecule with two differently sized domains interconnected by a stalk region, and a pseudo 4 fold symmetry along the longitudinal axis [33]
Summary
Innate immune responses are the first strategies of host defense from invading pathogens and tissue damage Their activation occurs when conserved structures on the surface of pathogens or associated with tissue damage, called pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), respectively, are recognized by cell-associated or soluble molecules known as pattern recognition molecules (PRMs). PTX3 is produced by different cell types in response to primary pro-inflammatory stimuli and microbial moieties, is an essential mediator of innate resistance to selected pathogens of fungal, bacterial and viral origin [as discussed elsewhere [1, 3]], and is involved in regulation of inflammation, tissue remodeling, and cancer. We will review the main biological features of PTX3 focusing on its structure and involvement in sterile conditions of tissue damage and cancer, and providing evidence that microbial and matrix recognition are evolutionarily conserved properties shared by humoral innate immunity molecules
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