Host-Microbe Biology
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyeIF2B as a Target for Viral Evasion of PKR-Mediated Translation InhibitionRNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) is one of the most powerful antiviral defense factors of the mammalian host. PKR acts by phosphorylating mRNA translation initiation factor eIF2α, thereby converting it from a cofactor to an inhibitor of mRNA translation that strongly binds to initiation factor eIF2B. To sustain synthesis of their proteins, viruses are known to counteract this on the level of PKR or eIF2α or by circumventing initiation...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySERINC5 Potently Restricts Retrovirus Infection In VivoThis study examined for the first time the in vivo function of the serine incorporator (SERINC) proteins during retrovirus infection. SERINC3 and SERINC5 (SERINC3/5) restrict a number of retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) and murine leukemia virus (MLV), by blocking their entry into cells. Nevertheless, HIV-1 and MLV encode factors, Nef...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyConvergent Evolution of HLA-C Downmodulation in HIV-1 and HIV-2Genome-wide association studies suggest that HLA-C expression is a major determinant of viral load set points and CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-infected individuals. On the one hand, efficient HLA-C expression enables the killing of infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). On the other hand, HLA-C sends inhibitory signals to natural killer (NK) cells and enhances the infectivity of newly produced HIV particles. HIV-1...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyImpact of Facultative Bacteria on the Metabolic Function of an Obligate Insect-Bacterial SymbiosisAlthough microbial colonization of the internal tissues of animals generally causes septicemia and death, various animals are persistently associated with benign or beneficial microorganisms in their blood or internal organs. The metabolic consequences of these persistent associations for the animal host are largely unknown. Our research on the facultative bacterium Hamiltonella, localized primarily to the hemolymph of pea...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyStaphylococcus aureus Lipase 1 Enhances Influenza A Virus ReplicationInfluenza A virus (IAV) causes annual epidemics and sporadic pandemics of respiratory disease. Secondary bacterial coinfection by organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus is the most common complication of primary IAV infection and is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Here, we report the first identified...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEpitope Shaving Promotes Fungal Immune EvasionThe immune system plays a critical role in protecting us against potentially fatal fungal infections. However, some fungal pathogens have evolved evasion strategies that reduce the efficacy of our immune defenses. Previously, we reported that the fungal pathogen Candida albicans exploits specific host-derived signals (such as lactate and hypoxia) to trigger an immune...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyInhibition of Fatty Acid Oxidation Promotes Macrophage Control of Mycobacterium tuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the leading infectious disease killer worldwide. We discovered that intracellular Mtb fails to grow in macrophages in which fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) is blocked. Macrophages treated with FAO inhibitors rapidly generate a burst of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species, which promotes NADPH oxidase recruitment and autophagy...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Paramyxovirus Infections Induce T Cells That Cross-React with Zoonotic HenipavirusesHumans encounter multiple paramyxoviruses early in life. This study shows that infection with common paramyxoviruses can induce T cells cross-reactive with the highly pathogenic Nipah virus. This demonstrates that the combination of paramyxovirus infection history and HLA haplotype affects immunity to phylogenetically related zoonotic paramyxoviruses.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Co-opts the Unfolded Protein Response To Enhance Migration and Dissemination of Infected Host CellsCells that are infected with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii exhibit heightened migratory activity, which facilitates dissemination of the infection throughout the body. In this report, we identify a new mechanism used by Toxoplasma to hijack its host cell and increase its mobility. We further show that the ability of Toxoplasma to increase host cell...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyProbiotic Properties of Escherichia coli Nissle in Human Intestinal OrganoidsProbiotic, or beneficial, bacteria, such as E. coli Nissle, hold promise for the treatment of human disease. More study is needed to fully realize the potential of probiotics. Safety and efficacy studies are critically important; however, mice are poor models for many human intestinal diseases. We used stem cell-derived human intestinal organoid tissues to evaluate...