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. 2009 Dec 21;206(13):2865-8.
doi: 10.1084/jem.20092533. Epub 2009 Dec 14.

Mincle is a long sought receptor for mycobacterial cord factor

Isamu Matsunaga  1 , D Branch Moody
Affiliations

Mincle is a long sought receptor for mycobacterial cord factor

Isamu Matsunaga et al. J Exp Med. .

Abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a leading killer worldwide, yet the adjuvancy of its cell wall has proven to be a valuable therapeutic tool for vaccination and immunotherapy. Much research effort has focused on the mycobacterial glycolipid trehalose-6,6'-dimycolate (TDM), a potent immunostimulant that is also known as cord factor. Now, the identification of the monocyte-inducible C-type lectin (Mincle) as an essential receptor for TDM provides new insight into the formation of the characteristic granulomas in tuberculosis and an avenue for rational adjuvant design.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Actinobacteria contain a unique outer layer composed of mycolate lipids. One of those lipids, TDM, is an immunostimulant whose potency compares to Gram-negative bacterial LPS, but the nature of the inflammation triggered by these two molecules differ.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The mycobacterial lipid TDM and its synthetic analogue TDB exist as symmetric trehalose glycolipid structures. Their receptor, Mincle, couples with Syk and the FcRγ chain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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