A new player of bacterial membrane breakdown
How immune cells eliminate bacteria is a fundamental question in biology and medicine, with implications for infectious disease, inflammation, and immunity. While it is well known that bacteria are destroyed inside compartments called phagosomes, the full set of molecular players involved remains incomplete.
PldX is key to bacteria destruction
In their , researchers from the laboratory of Prof. Pierre Cosson used the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum - a widely used model mimicking human immune cells - to uncover a new player involved in bacterial destruction inside phagosomes. Using live-cell imaging, they discovered that PldX, a luminal phospholipase D, attacks and permeabilizes the bacterial membranes.
Once the bacteria is inside a phagosome, PldX attacks the bacterial membrane and permeabilizes it. © Adapted from the graphical abstract in Lamrabet et al. 2025, Mol. Microbiol.
Potential implications
By identifying PldX as a major contributor to bacterial membrane destruction, this study not only deepens our understanding of immunity but also opens up potential avenues for boosting antibacterial responses in humans.