Publications by authors named "Marion Klemm"

Antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB) is a public health threat of global dimension, worsened by increasing drug resistance. Host-directed therapy (HDT) is an emerging concept currently explored as an adjunct therapeutic strategy for TB. One potential host target is the ligand-activated transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which binds TB virulence factors and controls antibacterial responses.

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rapidly adapts to altered conditions by quorum sensing (QS), a communication system that it uses to collectively modify its behavior through the production, release, and detection of signaling molecules. QS molecules can also be sensed by hosts, although the respective receptors and signaling pathways are poorly understood. We describe a pattern of regulation in the host by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) that is critically dependent on qualitative and quantitative sensing of quorum.

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As a first host barrier, the skin is constantly exposed to environmental insults that perturb its integrity. Tight regulation of skin homeostasis is largely controlled by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Here, we demonstrate that Henna and its major pigment, the naphthoquinone Lawsone activate AhR, both in vitro and in vivo.

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Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are important second messenger molecules in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Within host cells, cytosolic CDNs are detected by STING and alert the host by activating innate immunity characterized by type I interferon (IFN) responses. Extracellular bacteria and dying cells can release CDNs, but sensing of extracellular CDNs (eCDNs) by mammalian cells remains elusive.

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Tuberculosis remains a major killer worldwide, not the least because of our incomplete knowledge of protective and pathogenic immune mechanism. The roles of the interleukin 1 (IL-1) and interleukin 18 pathways in host defense are well established, as are their regulation through the inflammasome complex. In contrast, the regulation of interleukin 36γ (IL-36γ), a recently described member of the IL-1 family, and its immunological relevance in host defense remain largely unknown.

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Article Synopsis
  • The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that detects environmental toxins and is involved in activating detoxifying enzymes and regulating immune responses.
  • Researchers proposed that AhR also evolved to recognize harmful microbes and studied specific bacterial toxins (phenazines from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and phthiocol from Mycobacterium tuberculosis) as ligands for AhR.
  • Their findings indicate that AhR activation leads to the breakdown of these toxins and helps regulate the production of immune signaling molecules, showing that AhR plays a key role in defending against bacterial infections.
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