Galectin-3 directs antimicrobial guanylate binding proteins to vacuoles furnished with bacterial secretion systems.

Many invasive bacteria establish pathogen-containing vacuoles (PVs) as intracellular niches for microbial growth. Immunity to these infections is dependent on the ability of host cells to recognize PVs as targets for host defense. The delivery of several host defense proteins to PVs is controlled by IFN-inducible guanylate binding proteins (GBPs), which themselves dock to PVs through poorly characterized mechanisms.

Interferon-Inducible GTPases in Host Resistance, Inflammation and Disease.

Cell-autonomous immunity is essential for host organisms to defend themselves against invasive microbes. In vertebrates, both the adaptive and the innate branches of the immune system operate cell-autonomous defenses as key effector mechanisms that are induced by pro-inflammatory interferons (IFNs). IFNs can activate cell-intrinsic host defenses in virtually any cell type ranging from professional phagocytes to mucosal epithelial cells.

Ubiquitin systems mark pathogen-containing vacuoles as targets for host defense by guanylate binding proteins.

Many microbes create and maintain pathogen-containing vacuoles (PVs) as an intracellular niche permissive for microbial growth and survival. The destruction of PVs by IFNγ-inducible guanylate binding protein (GBP) and immunity-related GTPase (IRG) host proteins is central to a successful immune response directed against numerous PV-resident pathogens. However, the mechanism by which IRGs and GBPs cooperatively detect and destroy PVs is unclear.