Extracellular Trap‐Mimicking DNA‐Histone Mesostructures Synergistically Activate Dendritic Cells

Abstract

Extracellular traps (ETs), such as neutrophil extracellular traps, are a physical mesh deployed by immune cells to entrap and constrain pathogens. ETs are immunogenic structures composed of DNA, histones, and an array of variable protein and peptide components. While much attention has been paid to the multifaceted function of these structures, mechanistic studies of ETs remain challenging due to their heterogeneity and complexity. Here, a novel DNA‐histone mesostructure (DHM) formed by complexation of DNA and histones into a fibrous mesh is reported. DHMs mirror the DNA‐histone structural frame of ETs and offer a facile platform for cell culture studies. It is shown that DHMs are potent activators of dendritic cells and identify both the methylation state of DHMs and physical interaction between dendritic cells and DHMs as key tuning switches for immune stimulation. Overall, the DHM platform provides a new opportunity to study the role of ETs in immune activation and pathophysiology.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Oct 15, 2019
Source ID
10.1002/adhm.201900926

Entities

People

  • Cameron Louttit
  • Hong Sun Kim
  • James J Moon
  • Jason S. Knight
  • Lukasz J. Ochyl
  • Luke Brennan
  • Midori L. Maeda
  • Priyan D. Weerappuli
  • Shuichi Takayama
  • Srilakshmi Yalavarthi
  • Taisuke Kojima
  • Yao Xu

Organizations

  • Georgia Tech
  • National Science Foundation
  • United States Department of Defense
  • University of Michigan

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science