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. 2003 May;4(5):485-90.
doi: 10.1038/ni915. Epub 2003 Mar 31.

Molecular mimicry of a CCR5 binding-domain in the microbial activation of dendritic cells

Julio Aliberti  1 , Jesus G Valenzuela, Vern B Carruthers, Sara Hieny, John Andersen, Hugues Charest, Caetano Reis e Sousa, Alan Fairlamb, Jose M Ribeiro, Alan Sher
Affiliations

Molecular mimicry of a CCR5 binding-domain in the microbial activation of dendritic cells

Julio Aliberti et al. Nat Immunol. 2003 May.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii releases factors that potently stimulate production of interleukin-12 (IL-12) from dendritic cells (DCs). Purification of this activity showed that cyclophilin-18 (C-18) was its principal component, and antibodies generated against recombinant C-18 inhibited tachyzoite extract-induced synthesis of IL-12. Recombinant C-18 showed high affinity for and triggered cell signaling through CCR5, a chemokine receptor important in parasite-induced IL-12 production by DCs. These findings suggest that the unusual potency of T. gondii in inducing IL-12 from DCs results from its synthesis of a unique chemokine mimic that signals through CCR5. The ability to generate this strong protective response may benefit parasite transmission by preventing the protozoan from overwhelming its intermediate hosts.

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