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Measurement of Chitinase Activity in Biological Samples
Published on: August 22, 2019
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LYSMD3: A mammalian pattern recognition receptor for chitin
Xin He1, Brad A Howard2, Yang Liu3
1Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Cell Reports
|July 21, 2021
Summary
Scientists discovered LYSMD3, a protein on airway epithelial cells, that binds to fungal chitin. This finding is crucial for understanding allergic responses to fungi and asthma development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Mycology
Background:
- Chitin, a fungal cell wall component, is linked to allergic diseases like asthma.
- Mammalian recognition mechanisms for chitin and the specific receptors on epithelial cells are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the mammalian receptor responsible for recognizing chitin on fungal cell walls.
- To elucidate the role of this receptor in epithelial cell inflammatory responses to fungi.
Main Methods:
- Investigated LYSMD3 expression on human airway epithelial cells.
- Assessed LYSMD3 binding to chitin and beta-glucan on fungal cell walls.
- Utilized gene knockdown/knockout and competitive inhibition assays to study LYSMD3 function.
- Measured inflammatory cytokine production in response to chitin and fungal spores.
Main Results:
- LYSMD3 is expressed on human airway epithelial cells and binds to chitin and beta-glucan.
- LYSMD3 knockdown or knockout significantly reduces epithelial cell inflammatory cytokine production in response to chitin and fungal spores.
- Blocking LYSMD3 ectodomain function inhibits chitin signaling.
Conclusions:
- LYSMD3 acts as a mammalian pattern recognition receptor (PRR) for chitin.
- LYSMD3 plays a key role in epithelial cell inflammatory responses to chitin and fungi, impacting allergic disorders.
