TLR9 and infection: One ofthe main characteristics that points mtDNA and bacterial DNA togetheris the hypomethylation patterns observed in both molecules,28 which can readily activate pattern recognitionreceptors such as TLR9 and, in turn, induce an inflammatory response.It is noteworthy that L. infantum-infectedneutrophils secrete mtDNA until 24 h after infection because thisposes a new hole for these cells in the context of Leishmania spp.