The long pentraxin PTX3: a paradigm for humoral pattern recognition molecules

摘要: Pattern recognition molecules (PRMs) are components of the humoral arm innate immunity; they recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) and functional ancestors antibodies, promoting complement activation, opsonization, agglutination. In addition, several PRMs have a regulatory function on inflammation. Pentraxins family evolutionarily conserved characterized by cyclic multimeric structure. On basis structure, pentraxins been operationally divided into short long families. C-reactive protein (CRP) serum amyloid P component prototypes pentraxin family, while 3 (PTX3) is prototype pentraxins. PTX3 produced somatic immune cells in response to proinflammatory stimuli Toll-like receptor engagement, it interacts with ligands exerts multifunctional properties. Unlike CRP, gene organization regulation evolution, thus allowing its pathophysiological roles be evaluated genetically modified animals. Here we will briefly review general properties CRP as pentraxins, respectively, emphasizing particular role prototypic PRM antibody-like