MICROBIAL CORRUPTION OF THE CHEMOKINE SYSTEM - AN EXPANDING PARADIGM

The chemokine signaling system includes more than 40 secreted pro-infl ammatory peptides and 12 G protein-coupled receptors that together orc hestrate specific leukocyte trafficking in the mammalian immune system , ideally for antimicrobial defense and tissue repair processes. Parad oxically and perversely, some chemokines and chemokine receptors are a lso promicrobial factors and facilitate infectious disease, the result of either exploitation or subversion by specific microbes. Two modes of exploitation are known: usage of cellular chemokine receptors for c ell entry by intracellular pathogens, including HN, and usage of viral ly-encoded chemokine receptors for host cell proliferation. Likewise, two modes of subversion are known: virally-encoded chemokine antagonis ts and virally-encoded chemokine scavengers. Understanding how microbe s turn, the tables on the chemokine system may point to new methods to prevent or treat infection, or, more generally, to treat inappropriat e chemokine mediated inflammation.