A new role for PGRP-S (Tag7) in immune defense: Lymphocyte migration is induced by a chemoattractant complex of Tag7 with Mts1

Abstract

PGRP-S (Tag7) is an innate immunity protein involved in the antimicrobial defense systems, both in insects and in mammals. We have previously shown that Tag7 specifically interacts with several proteins, including Hsp70 and the calcium binding protein S100A4 (Mts1), providing a number of novel cellular functions. Here we show that Tag7–Mts1 complex causes chemotactic migration of lymphocytes, with NK cells being a preferred target. Cells of either innate immunity (neutrophils and monocytes) or acquired immunity (CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes) can produce this complex, which confirms the close connection between components of the 2 branches of immune response.