From bacterial killing to immune modulation: Recent insights into the functions of lysozyme.

Abstract in brief

• Lysozyme is a key component of innate immunity that kills bacteria primarily by breaking down their cell wall peptidoglycan, but it can also kill some bacteria through mechanisms unrelated to this process.
• Bacteria have evolved various ways to protect themselves from lysozyme, as part of the ongoing host-microbe evolutionary battle, making the interaction complex.
• Besides its antimicrobial activity, lysozyme also plays a role in modulating the immune response and helps resolve inflammation, highlighting its versatile functions in infection and immune regulation.]