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T(H)17 cells promote microbial killing and innate immune sensing of DNA via interleukin 26.

Stephan MellerJeremy Di DomizioKui S VooHeike C FriedrichGeorgios ChamilosDipyaman GangulyCurdin ConradJosh GregorioDidier Le RoyThierry RogerJohn E LadburyBernhard HomeyStanley WatowichRobert L ModlinDimitrios P KontoyiannisYong-Jun LiuStefan T AroldMichel Gilliet
Published in: Nature immunology (2015)
Interleukin 17-producing helper T cells (T(H)17 cells) have a major role in protection against infections and in mediating autoimmune diseases, yet the mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. We found that interleukin 26 (IL-26), a human T(H)17 cell-derived cytokine, is a cationic amphipathic protein that kills extracellular bacteria via membrane-pore formation. Furthermore, T(H)17 cell-derived IL-26 formed complexes with bacterial DNA and self-DNA released by dying bacteria and host cells. The resulting IL-26-DNA complexes triggered the production of type I interferon by plasmacytoid dendritic cells via activation of Toll-like receptor 9, but independently of the IL-26 receptor. These findings provide insights into the potent antimicrobial and proinflammatory function of T(H)17 cells by showing that IL-26 is a natural human antimicrobial that promotes immune sensing of bacterial and host cell death.
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