Journal
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY
Volume 16, Issue 9, Pages 970-979Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/ni.3211
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Swiss National Science Foundation [144072, 149511]
- National Cancer Institute [CA128913]
- DANA Foundation
- German Research Foundation
- research commission of the Medical Faculty of the University of Dusseldorf
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Interleukin 17-producing helper T cells (T(H)17 cells) have a major role in protection against infections and in mediating autoimmune diseases, yet the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. We found that interleukin 26 (IL-26), a human T(H)17 cell-derived cytokine, is a cationic amphipathic protein that kills extracellular bacteria via membrane-pore formation. Furthermore, T(H)17 cell-derived IL-26 formed complexes with bacterial DNA and self-DNA released by dying bacteria and host cells. The resulting IL-26-DNA complexes triggered the production of type I interferon by plasmacytoid dendritic cells via activation of Toll-like receptor 9, but independently of the IL-26 receptor. These findings provide insights into the potent antimicrobial and proinflammatory function of T(H)17 cells by showing that IL-26 is a natural human antimicrobial that promotes immune sensing of bacterial and host cell death.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available