Cells Scramble Their Fat to Protect from Microbial Attack

In a study published today in Cell Reports, researchers found that human cells have a defense mechanism that protects them from microbial attacks.

When microbes enter the body, they liberate toxins that can damage cells by poking holes in the external cell layer. But an international team of researchers has found that, to defend themselves from this kind of intrusion, cells scramble their membrane fat into a more liquid form that allows them to fix the holes. These repairs prevent the cells from breaking up and dying.

“Our body is very clever,” says senior author André Veillette of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute. “Some microbes cause diseases by punching holes in the external layer of cells and killing these cells. But our body has the ability to repair these holes. We have identified a molecule, known as TMEM16F, that can repair the holes and prevent the cells from dying.”

The researchers hope that by stimulating the scrambling of cell fat with new drugs, they may be able to help protect humans from some microbes, such as listeria, which causes severe diarrhea, and streptococcus, which can trigger the destruction of blood cells.