TRIM21 induces selective autophagy of viruses and bacteria - PubMed
2 hours ago
- #targeted degradation
- #autophagy
- #antimicrobial immunity
- TRIM21 is a versatile ubiquitin ligase directed by antibodies to target various substrates, including viruses and bacteria, for degradation.
- A genome-wide screen identified an antimicrobial selective macroautophagy pathway called 'antibody-directed xenophagy' (ADX) in mammalian cells.
- ADX restricts diverse pathogens such as adenovirus and Salmonella by recruiting selective autophagy adaptors and delivering cargo to lysosomes.
- TRIM21 rapidly intercepts antibody-pathogen complexes, activating its ubiquitin ligase function to initiate this degradation process.
- In mice, this pathway reduces Salmonella pathology and bacterial tissue invasion, suggesting its role in antimicrobial defense.
- TRIM21's evolution may stem from competition with pathogens, explaining its ability to induce autophagy of complex substrates.