Macrophage migration inhibitory factor, the Zelig of cytokines, is a chaperone for SOD1 in non-neuronal cells

Richard M Ransohoff

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.054

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor, the Zelig of cytokines, is a chaperone for SOD1 in non-neuronal cells

Neuron. 2015 Apr 8;86(1):2-3. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.054.

Author

Richard M Ransohoff¹

Affiliation

¹ Neuroimmunology Group, Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 25856475
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.03.054

Abstract

Pathogenic properties of mutant SOD1 in ALS likely involve binding to mitochondrial and ER membranes. In this issue of Neuron, Israelson et al. (2015) show that motor neurons, selectively vulnerable in ALS, lack a chaperone that precludes mSOD1 binding intracellular membranes in other cells. This chaperone is identified as the pleiotropic cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor.

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MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / metabolism*
Protein Folding*
Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism*

Substances

Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors
Superoxide Dismutase