What is it about?
C. burnetii causes Q fever and has a special type of LPS. The receptor for LPS is TLR4. The type of LPS that C. burnetii has is known to affect human and mouse TLR4s differently. We hypothesized that mice expressing human TLR4 would be more susceptible to C. burnetii infection, and better reflect infection in humans.
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Why is it important?
Mice are frequently an inappropriate model for human disease. In this project we wished to determine if human TLR4-expressing mice could provide a better model for human Q fever.
Perspectives
Mice expressing human TLR4 were not dramatically more susceptible to Q fever. However, the expression of human TLR4 on cells that are not derived from the bone marrow may direct an slightly enhanced infection. These cells are not direct targets of infection with C. burnetii. There was an strong initial immune response to infection that was dependent on human TLR4.
Jodi Hedges
Montana University System
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Expression of human TLR4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 directs an early innate immune response associated with modest increases in bacterial burden during Coxiella burnetii infection, Innate Immunity, June 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1753425919855420.
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