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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Rapid Depletion of Renal Macrophages Using Human CD59/Intermedilysin Cell Ablation Tool
Published on: May 9, 2025
Human CD59 is a receptor for the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin intermedilysin
Kara S Giddings1, Ji Zhao, Peter J Sims
1Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
Abstract:
Cholesterol is believed to serve as the common receptor for the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs). One member of this toxin family, Streptococcus intermedius intermedilysin (ILY), exhibits a narrow spectrum of cellular specificity that is seemingly inconsistent with this premise. We show here that ILY, via its domain 4 structure, binds to the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked membrane protein human CD59 (huCD59). CD59 is an inhibitor of the membrane attack complex of human complement. ILY specifically binds to huCD59 via residues that are the binding site for the C8alpha and C9 complement proteins. These studies provide a new model for the mechanism of cellular recognition by a CDC.
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