Elucidation of novel mechanism to discriminate intracellular membranes using Toxoplasma gondii

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19556
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pathology, Infection/Immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Masahiro 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 教授 (00444521)
• Research Collaborator: Sasai Miwa
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞内膜 / ユビキチン / インターフェロン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various intracellular pathogens are included in membraneous structures called pathogen-containing vacuoles in the infected cells. Host immune system discriminates menbranes of pathogen-containing vacuoles and those of self orgnalles such as nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus and cell membranes to kill the intracellular pathogens, eventually inhibiting the growth in hosts. Molecular mechanisms for the discrimination have been very unclear, however, we have identified PVM1 that is highly ubiquitinated in response to host immune responses to pathogen infection, suggesting that PVM1 may play a role in discrimination of self and non-self inside infected cells.

Free Research Field

免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は挑戦的な内容であったが、そこで明らかとなった事実は、免疫学的観点から考えるとサルモネラ、トキソプラズマ、ノロウイルスなど膜構造体を創り出す様々な細胞内寄生性の病原体に対する宿主免疫応答の理解の第一歩となったという点で、学術的意義が高かった。今後、本研究を発展することによって、サルモネラ症を含む細菌性の食中毒、トキソプラズマ症やノロウイルスによる下痢症などの感染症に対する新規の治療戦略につながる可能性があり、社会的にも極めて意義深いと考えられる。