Genomic approaches continue to provide unprecedented insight into the microbiome, yet host immune interactions with diverse microbiota can be difficult to study. We therefore generated a microbial microarray containing defined antigens isolated from a broad range of microbial flora to examine adaptive and innate immunity. Serological studies with this microarray show that immunoglobulins from multiple mammalian species have unique patterns of reactivity, whereas exposure of animals to distinct microbes induces specific serological recognition. Although adaptive immunity exhibited plasticity toward microbial antigens, immunological tolerance limits reactivity toward self. We discovered that several innate immune galectins show specific recognition of microbes that express self-like antigens, leading to direct killing of a broad range of Gram-negative and Gram-positive microbes. Thus, host protection against microbes seems to represent a balance between adaptive and innate immunity to defend against evolving antigenic determinants while protecting against molecular mimicry.
molecular mimicry, glycan, interaction, Gram-negative, galectins, Gram-positive, innate immunity, Glycomics
Publication DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1525Journal NLM ID: 101231976Publisher: New York, NY: Nature Publishing Group
Correspondence: jpaulson@scripps.edu; rdcummi@emory.edu
Institutions: Department of Biochemistry and the Glycomics Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA, Department of and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
Methods: serological methods
Found