| First Author | Whiston EA | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Infect Immun | Volume | 76 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 1781-90 |
| PubMed ID | 18227158 | Mgi Jnum | J:133534 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3778749 | Doi | 10.1128/IAI.01285-07 |
| Citation | Whiston EA, et al. (2008) alphaB-crystallin protects retinal tissue during Staphylococcus aureus-induced endophthalmitis. Infect Immun 76(4):1781-90 |
| abstractText | Bacterial infections of the eye highlight a dilemma that is central to all immune-privileged sites. On the one hand, immune privilege limits inflammation to prevent bystander destruction of normal tissue and loss of vision. On the other hand, bacterial infections require a robust inflammatory response for rapid clearance of the pathogen. We demonstrate that the retina handles this dilemma, in part, by activation of a protective heat shock protein. During Staphylococcus aureus-induced endophthalmitis, the small heat shock protein alphaB-crystallin is upregulated in the retina and prevents apoptosis during immune clearance of the bacteria. In the absence of alphaB-crystallin, mice display increased retinal apoptosis and retinal damage. We found that S. aureus produces a protease capable of cleaving alphaB-crystallin to a form that coincides with increased retinal apoptosis and tissue destruction. We conclude that alphaB-crystallin is important in protecting sensitive retinal tissue during destructive inflammation that occurs during bacterial endophthalmitis. |
