Aggregation as a host defense mechanism

In this work, we hypothesized that the aggregation of proteins during wounding is a physiological host defense mechanism, which is triggered during pathogen invasion. Here, we demonstrate the ability of acute wound fluids (AWFs) to aggregate their protein content after exposer to bacterial endotoxins such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The composition of LPS-triggered aggregates clearly shows the enrichment of specific protein families, which are for example involved in the immune system, coagulation cascade, nuclear matrix, or lipid metabolism.