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The protein GBP1 is a vital component of our body's natural defense against pathogens. This substance fights against bacteria and parasites by enveloping them in a protein coat, but how the substance manages to do this has remained unknown until now.

Researchers from Delft University of Technology have now unraveled how this protein operates. This new knowledge, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, could aid in the development of medications and therapies for individuals with weakened immune systems.

So-called Guanylate Binding Proteins (GBPs) play a crucial role in our innate immune system, explains biophysicist Arjen Jakobi, "GBPs form the first line of defense against various infectious diseases caused by bacteria and parasites. Examples of such diseases include dysentery, typhoid fever caused by Salmonella bacteria, and tuberculosis. The protein also plays a significant role in the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia as well as in toxoplasmosis, which is particularly dangerous during pregnancy and for unborn children."

In their publication, Jakobi and his colleagues describe for the first time how the innate immune system fights against bacteria using GBP1 proteins.

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