Article abstract
Nature Immunology 8, 39 - 46 (2006)
Published online: 10 December 2006 | doi:10.1038/ni1425
Dectin-1 is required for host defense against Pneumocystis carinii but not against Candida albicans
Shinobu Saijo1, Noriyuki Fujikado1, Takahisa Furuta2, Soo-hyun Chung1, Hayato Kotaki1, Keisuke Seki1, Katsuko Sudo1, Shizuo Akira3, Yoshiyuki Adachi4, Naohito Ohno4, Takeshi Kinjo5, Kiwamu Nakamura5, Kazuyoshi Kawakami6 & Yoichiro Iwakura1
Abstract
Dectin-1 is a C-type lectin involved in the recognition of 
-glucans found in the cell walls of fungi. We generated dectin-1-deficient mice to determine the importance of dectin-1 in the defense against pathogenic fungi. In vitro, -glucan-induced cytokine production from wild-type dendritic cells and macrophages was abolished in cells homozygous for dectin-1 deficiency ('dectin-1-knockout' cells). In vivo, dectin-1-knockout mice were more susceptible than wild-type mice to pneumocystis infection, even though their cytokine production was normal. However, pneumocystis-infected dectin-1-knockout macrophages did show defective production of reactive oxygen species. In contrast to those results, wild-type and dectin-1-knockout mice were equally susceptible to candida infection. Thus, dectin-1 is required for immune responses to some fungal infections, as protective immunity to pneumocystis, but not to candida, required dectin-1 for the production of antifungal reactive oxygen species.
- Center for Experimental Medicine. The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
- Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
- Laboratory for Immunopharmacology of Microbial Products, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1423-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan.
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyu, 207 Uehara, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gunn, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan.
- Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Medical Technology, School of Health Science, Tohoku University, 2-1, Seiryou-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.
Correspondence to: Yoichiro Iwakura1 e-mail: iwakura@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
