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Immunology

Magnesium in a signalling role

Nature volume 475, pages 462–463 (2011)Cite this article

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Magnesium binds to enzymes and nucleic acids and is essential for their activity. It emerges that this ion can also function as a signalling molecule with a crucial role in the immune system. See Article p.471

Humans fend off offending agents such as pathogens and tumour cells using their immune system. When immune function is diminished as a result of immunodeficiencies, individuals become more susceptible to infections and, in some cases, to cancer. Immunodeficiencies can result from defects in any component of the immune system, including T cells and B cells. These disorders can be hereditary (primary immunodeficiencies) or acquired — for example, through infection with viruses such as HIV1. Although primary immunodeficiencies are rare, their study has frequently led to identification of new, and at times unsuspected, regulators of the immune system. On page 471 of this issue, Li and colleagues2 describe one such regulator, the magnesium-ion transporter MAGT1, mutations in which result in a hereditary human immunodeficiency.

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Figure 1: MAGT1 in T-cell activation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ning Wu and André Veillette are in the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H2W 1R7 Canada.,

    Ning Wu & André Veillette

  2. André Veillette is also in the Department of Medicine, and in the Department of Medicine, University of Montreal, McGill University, Montreal.,

    André Veillette

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  1. Ning Wu
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  2. André Veillette
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Correspondence to André Veillette.

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Wu, N., Veillette, A. Magnesium in a signalling role. Nature 475, 462–463 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/475462a

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