Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
12:52
Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions
Published on: September 9, 2014
Bacterial invasion: linking autophagy and innate immunity
Lorenzo Galluzzi1, Oliver Kepp, Laurence Zitvogel
1INSERM, U848, F-94805 Villejuif, France; Institut Gustave Roussy, F-94805 Villejuif, France.
Current Biology : CB
|February 11, 2010
Summary
NOD2, a pattern-recognition receptor, recruits ATG16L1 at bacterial entry sites in Crohn's disease. This interaction bridges innate immunity and autophagy, offering new insights into the inflammatory bowel disorder.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder.
- Genetic polymorphisms in NOD2 and ATG16L1 are linked to Crohn's disease.
- NOD2 is a pattern-recognition receptor, and ATG16L1 is an autophagy regulator.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional relationship between NOD2 and ATG16L1 in the context of Crohn's disease.
- To elucidate how NOD2 and ATG16L1 interact at the cellular level during bacterial encounters.
Main Methods:
- Cellular imaging techniques to visualize protein localization.
- Studies on immune cells responding to bacterial stimuli.
- Genetic analysis to confirm the roles of NOD2 and ATG16L1.
Main Results:
- NOD2 was observed to recruit ATG16L1 to sites of bacterial entry.
- This recruitment is crucial for the interplay between innate immunity and autophagy.
- The findings provide a mechanistic link between genetic associations and disease pathogenesis.
Conclusions:
- NOD2 and ATG16L1 cooperate to regulate cellular responses to bacterial invasion.
- This interaction represents a key pathway in Crohn's disease pathogenesis.
- Targeting this NOD2-ATG16L1 axis may offer therapeutic strategies for Crohn's disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Autophagy
Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
01:36Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
01:18Autophagic Cell Death
Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
01:31Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
01:22Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
01:25Colonisation of Pathogens
Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...