Natural resistance to intracellular infections: Nramp1 encodes a membrane phosphoglycoprotein absent in macrophages from susceptible (Nramp1 D169) mouse strains

The mouse Nramp1 gene (Bcg/Ity/Lsh) controls innate defense to infection with intracellular parasites such as Mycobacterium, Salmonella, and Leishmania. Sequence analysis of Nramp1 predicts a hydrophobic, membrane-associated protein expressed exclusively in monocyte/macrophage lineages. A single …