microRNA-21 Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Phagocytosis
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Authors
Finn. Mary Courtney
C. Henrique Serezani
Issue Date
2024-08-01
Type
Other
Language
en_US
Keywords
Scholarship Sewanee 2025 , University of the South, Phagocytosis, Staphylococcus aureus, skin infections, microRNA-21, infection clearance
Alternative Title
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a significant cause of skin infections in community and nosocomial settings. Skin infections caused by S. aureus are orchestrated by the actions of tissue-resident cells and recruited immune cells. Furthermore, proper infection control is dictated by balancing the inflammatory response and bacterial clearance while also avoiding tissue damage. Phagocytes, such as macrophages, serve as microbe killers and induce inflammatory mediators in these skin infections. MicroRNAs (miRs), 20-24 nucleotide non-coding RNAs, inhibit transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene expression and can also inhibit the expression of both pro- and anti-inflammatory genes that modulate this immune response. Previously, our lab has shown that miR-21 is important for producing inflammatory mediators in macrophages challenged with LPS, but whether or not miR-21 regulates microbial ingestion remains to be determined. Our recent data shows that S. aureus infection increases the expression of miR-21 in macrophages. Additionally, preliminary data indicate that miR-21 deficiency protects mice from S. aureus skin infections; however, the mechanisms underlying this event are still unknown. We hypothesize that miR-21 inhibition increases S. aureus phagocytosis and improves bacterial control. Our data shows that transfection of macrophages with miR-21 antagomir increases phagocytosis of pHrodo-labelled S. aureus compared to cells transfected with a scrambled antagomir. With this knowledge, we are currently investigating whether miR-21 could specifically target phagocytic receptors. Our study demonstrates the importance of miR-21 in bacterial phagocytosis and lays the foundation for future research into infection clearance.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South