immune evasion
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyToxoplasma gondii Extends the Life Span of Infected Human Neutrophils by Inducing Cytosolic PCNA and Blocking Activation of Apoptotic CaspasesToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that can cause life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals and in the developing fetus. Interestingly, T. gondii has evolved strategies to successfully manipulate the host immune system to establish a productive infection and...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHyaluronidase Impairs Neutrophil Function and Promotes Group B Streptococcus Invasion and Preterm Labor in Nonhuman PrimatesGroup B streptococci (GBS) are bacteria that commonly reside in the female lower genital tract as asymptomatic members of the microbiota. However, during pregnancy, GBS can infect tissues at the maternal-fetal interface, leading to preterm birth, stillbirth, or fetal injury.
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyPhagosomal F-Actin Retention by Cryptococcus gattii Induces Dendritic Cell ImmunoparalysisCryptococcus yeast species typically display characteristics of opportunistic pathogens, with the exception of C. gattii, which can cause life-threatening respiratory and disseminated brain infections in otherwise healthy people. The pathogenesis of C. gattii is not well understood, but an...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyEstimation of Full-Length TprK Diversity in Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidumSyphilis continues to be a significant public health issue in both low- and high-income countries, including the United States where the rate of syphilis infection has increased over the past 5 years. Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, carries the outer membrane protein TprK that undergoes segmental gene conversion to...
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 | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceNovel Immunoglobulin Domain Proteins Provide Insights into Evolution and Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2-Related VirusesThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic strongly emphasizes the need for a more complete understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of its causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Despite intense scrutiny, several proteins encoded by the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like coronaviruses remain enigmatic. Moreover, the high infectivity and severity of SARS-CoV-2 in certain individuals make wet-lab studies currently challenging. In this study, we used...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBacterial Pathogens Hijack the Innate Immune Response by Activation of the Reverse Transsulfuration PathwayMacrophages are professional immune cells that ingest and kill microbes. In this study, we show that different pathogenic bacteria induce the expression of cystathionine γ-lyase (CTH) in macrophages. This enzyme is involved in a metabolic pathway called the reverse transsulfuration pathway, which leads to the production of numerous metabolites, including cystathionine. Phagocytized bacteria use cystathionine to better survive in...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyKingella kingae Surface Polysaccharides Promote Resistance to Neutrophil Phagocytosis and KillingKingella kingae is a Gram-negative commensal in the oropharynx and represents a leading cause of joint and bone infections in young children. The mechanisms by which K. kingae evades host innate immunity during pathogenesis of disease remain poorly understood. In this study, we established that the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyTrogocytosis by Entamoeba histolytica Mediates Acquisition and Display of Human Cell Membrane Proteins and Evasion of Lysis by Human SerumEntamoeba histolytica causes amoebiasis, a potentially fatal diarrheal disease. Abscesses in organs such as the liver can occur when amoebae are able to breach the intestinal wall and travel through the bloodstream to other areas of the body. Therefore, understanding how E. histolytica evades immune...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Influenza A Virus Hemagglutinin Glycan Evolution Follows a Temporal Pattern to a Glycan LimitFrequent mutation of its major antibody target, the glycoprotein hemagglutinin, ensures that the influenza virus is perennially both a rapidly emerging virus and a major threat to public health. One type of mutation escapes immunity by adding a glycan onto an area of hemagglutinin that many antibodies recognize. This study revealed that these glycan changes follow a simple temporal pattern. Every 5 to 7 years, hemagglutinin adds a new...