Your mitochondria aren't just power plants; they're also busy building tiny physical cages to trap invading bacteria.
Scientists discovered a surprising partnership where the cell's power plants assist the skeletal system in hunting down pathogens. Without a specific mitochondrial protein, the cell can't properly build the biological traps needed to neutralize dangerous invaders like Shigella.
APEX2 Screen Reveals Prohibitin 1 as Regulator of Septin-mediated Immunity
SSRN · 6531524
Septins are highly conserved cytoskeletal proteins having a central role in cell-autonomous immunity by entrapping intracellular pathogens, such as Shigella, within cage-like structures. Mitochondria protect against intracellular pathogens and control the Shigella-septin interface, yet the role of mitochondria in septin cage entrapment was unknown. Here, we apply a spatial proteomics approach to capture septin-proximal proteins using APEX2-based proximity labelling of SEPT6. Mass spectrometry re