host-pathogen interactions
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIL-27 Negatively Regulates Tip-DC Development during InfectionTNF/iNOS-producing dendritic cells (Tip-DCs) are at the front line as immune effector cells to fight off a broad range of invading microbes. Excessive development of Tip-DCs contributes to tissue destruction.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyA Novel Trichomonas vaginalis Surface Protein Modulates Parasite Attachment via Protein:Host Cell Proteoglycan InteractionThe ability of the sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis to adhere to its human host is critical for establishing and maintaining an infection. Yet how parasites adhere to host cells is poorly understood.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Canonical Long-Chain Fatty Acid Sensing Machinery Processes Arachidonic Acid To Inhibit Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coliPolyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play important roles in host immunity. Manipulation of lipid content in host tissues through diet or pharmacological interventions is associated with altered severity of various inflammatory diseases.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyIntracellular Density of Wolbachia Is Mediated by Host Autophagy and the Bacterial Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Gene cifB in a Cell Type-Dependent Manner in Drosophila melanogasterAutophagy is a eukaryotic intracellular degradation pathway which can act as an innate immune response to eliminate pathogens. Conversely, pathogens can evolve proteins which modulate the autophagy pathway to subvert degradation and establish an infection. Wolbachia, a vertically transmitted obligate endosymbiont which infects up to 40% of insect species, is negatively regulated by autophagy in whole animals, but the specific...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHIV-1 Vpr-Induced Proinflammatory Response and Apoptosis Are Mediated through the Sur1-Trpm4 Channel in AstrocytesEffective antiretroviral therapies can now prolong patients’ lives to nearly normal life span. The current challenge faced by many HIV-infected patients is chronic neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity that contributes to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND).
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySyndecan-1 Promotes Streptococcus pneumoniae Corneal Infection by Facilitating the Assembly of Adhesive Fibronectin FibrilsBacterial pathogens have evolved several ingenious mechanisms to subvert host cell biology for their pathogenesis. Bacterial attachment to the host ECM establishes a niche to grow and is considered one of the critical steps of infection. This pathogenic mechanism entails coordinated assembly of the ECM by the host to form the ECM structure and organization that are specifically recognized by bacteria for their adhesion. We...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGene Loss and Acquisition in Lineages of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Evolving in Cystic Fibrosis Patient AirwaysBacterial airway infections, predominantly caused by P. aeruginosa, are a major cause of mortality and morbidity of CF patients. While short insertions and deletions as well as point mutations occurring during infection are well studied, there is a lack of understanding of how gene loss and acquisition play roles in bacterial adaptation to the human airways. Here, we...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySurvival Strategies of Pathogenic Candida Species in Human Blood Show Independent and Specific AdaptationsTo ensure their survival, pathogens have to adapt immediately to new environments in their hosts, for example, during the transition from the gut to the bloodstream. Here, we investigated the basis of this adaptation in a group of fungal species which are among the most common causes of hospital-acquired infections, the Candida species. On the basis of a human whole-blood infection model, we studied which genes and processes...
Minireview | Host-Microbe BiologyMolecular Mimicry: a Paradigm of Host-Microbe Coevolution Illustrated by LegionellaThrough coevolution with host cells, microorganisms have acquired mechanisms to avoid the detection by the host surveillance system and to use the cell’s supplies to establish themselves. Indeed, certain pathogens have evolved proteins that imitate specific eukaryotic cell proteins, allowing them to manipulate host pathways, a phenomenon termed molecular mimicry. Bacterial “eukaryotic-like proteins” are a remarkable example of molecular...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHIV Vpr Modulates the Host DNA Damage Response at Two Independent Steps to Damage DNA and Repress Double-Strand DNA Break RepairThe DNA damage response (DDR) is a signaling cascade that safeguards the genome from genotoxic agents, including human pathogens. However, the DDR has also been utilized by many pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), to enhance infection. To properly treat HIV-positive individuals, we must understand how the virus usurps our own cellular processes. Here, we have found that an important yet poorly understood gene in HIV,...