Cytoplasmic Actin Is an Extracellular Insect Immune Factor which Is Secreted upon Immune Challenge and Mediates Phagocytosis and Direct Killing of Bacteria, and Is a Plasmodium Antagonist | Zendy

Simone L. Sandiford | Zendy; Yuemei Dong | Zendy; Andrew Pike | Zendy; Benjamin J. Blumberg | Zendy; Ana C. Bahia | Zendy; George Dimopoulos | Zendy

Open Access

Cytoplasmic Actin Is an Extracellular Insect Immune Factor which Is Secreted upon Immune Challenge and Mediates Phagocytosis and Direct Killing of Bacteria, and Is a Plasmodium Antagonist

Author(s) -

Simone L. Sandiford,

Yuemei Dong,

Andrew Pike,

Benjamin J. Blumberg,

Ana C. Bahia,

George Dimopoulos

Publication year - 2015

Publication title -

plos pathogens

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 3.719

H-Index - 206

eISSN - 1553-7374

pISSN - 1553-7366

DOI - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004631

Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , extracellular , phagocytosis , immune system , actin , neutrophil extracellular traps , cytoplasm , immunology , inflammation

Actin is a highly versatile, abundant, and conserved protein, with functions in a variety of intracellular processes. Here, we describe a novel role for insect cytoplasmic actin as an extracellular pathogen recognition factor that mediates antibacterial defense. Insect actins are secreted from cells upon immune challenge through an exosome-independent pathway. Anopheles gambiae actin interacts with the extracellular MD2-like immune factor AgMDL1, and binds to the surfaces of bacteria, mediating their phagocytosis and direct killing. Globular and filamentous actins display distinct functions as extracellular immune factors, and mosquito actin is a Plasmodium infection antagonist.

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