A complex interplay between the extracellular matrix and the innate immune response to microbial pathogens

Tomlin, Hannah; Piccinini, Anna M.

Abstract

The role of the host extracellular matrix (ECM) in infection tends to be neglected. However, the complex interactions between invading pathogens, host tissues and immune cells occur in the context of the ECM. On the pathogen side, a variety of surface and secreted molecules, including microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules and tissue‐degrading enzymes, are employed that interact with different ECM proteins to effectively establish an infection at specific sites. Microbial pathogens can also hijack or misuse host proteolytic systems to modify the ECM, evade immune responses or process biologically active molecules such as cell surface receptors and cytokines that direct cell behaviour and immune defence. On the host side, the ECM composition and three‐dimensional ultrastructure undergo significant modifications, which have a profound impact on the specific signals that the ECM conveys to immune cells at the forefront of infection. Unexpectedly, activated immune cells participate in the remodelling of the local ECM by synthesizing ECM glycoproteins, proteoglycans and collagen molecules. The close interplay between the ECM and the innate immune response to microbial pathogens ultimately affects the outcome of infection. This review explores and discusses recent data that implicate an active role for the ECM in the immune response to infection, encompassing antimicrobial activities, microbial recognition, macrophage activation, phagocytosis, leucocyte population balance, and transcriptional and post‐transcriptional regulation of inflammatory networks, and may foster novel antimicrobial approaches.

Citation

Tomlin, H., & Piccinini, A. M. (2018). A complex interplay between the extracellular matrix and the innate immune response to microbial pathogens. Immunology, 155(2), 186-201. https://doi.org/10.1111/imm.12972

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jul 5, 2018
• Publication Date: Oct 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 9, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 6, 2019
• Journal: Immunology
• Print ISSN: 0019-2805
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2567
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 155
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 186-201
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/imm.12972
• Keywords: extracellular matrix; immunity; infection
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/945038
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/imm.12972
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: A complex interplay between the extracellular matrix and the innate immune response to microbial pathogens, Hannah Tomlin, Anna M. Piccinin, Immunology (2018), which has been published in final form at doi:10.1111/imm.12972. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.