innate immunity
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologySerum Amyloid P Component Binds Fungal Surface Amyloid and Decreases Human Macrophage Phagocytosis and Secretion of Inflammatory CytokinesMacrophages are a key part of our innate immune system and are responsible for recognizing invading microbes, ingesting them, and sending appropriate signals to other immune cells. We have found that human macrophages can recognize invading yeast pathogens that have a specific molecular pattern of proteins on their surfaces: these proteins have structures similar to the structures of amyloid aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases like...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHuman Cytomegalovirus Immediate Early 86-kDa Protein Blocks Transcription and Induces Degradation of the Immature Interleukin-1β Protein during Virion-Mediated Activation of the AIM2 InflammasomePersistent infection with HCMV is associated with the operation of diverse evasion phenotypes directed at antiviral immunity. Obstruction of intrinsic and innate immune responses is typically conferred by viral proteins either associated with the viral particle or expressed immediately after entry. In line with this, numerous phenotypes are attributed to the HCMV IE86 protein that involve interference with innate immune processes via...
Editor's Pick Observation | Host-Microbe BiologyHIV-1 Is a Poor Inducer of Innate Immune ResponsesHuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) continues to be a major burden to human health worldwide. How infected cells recognize and respond to HIV-1 infection is important in order to better understand the biology of the virus and the cellular pathways activated upon infection and to identify potential targets that interfere with viral replication. In this study, we investigated innate immune responses of different cell types...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyMucor circinelloides Thrives inside the Phagosome through an Atf-Mediated Germination PathwayMucorales are a group of ancient saprophytic fungi that cause neglected infectious diseases collectively known as mucormycoses. The molecular processes underlying the establishment and progression of this disease are largely unknown. Our work presents a transcriptomic study to unveil the Mucor circinelloides genetic network triggered in fungal spores in response to...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHIV-1 Vpr Reprograms CLR4DCAF1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase to Antagonize Exonuclease 1-Mediated Restriction of HIV-1 InfectionHIV-1 polymerase reverse transcribes the viral RNA genome into imperfectly double-stranded proviral DNA, containing gaps and flaps, for integration into the host cell chromosome. HIV-1 reverse transcripts share characteristics with cellular DNA replication intermediates and are thought to be converted into fully double-stranded DNA by cellular postreplication DNA repair enzymes. Therefore, the finding that the HIV-1 accessory protein...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyOctopaminergic Signaling Mediates Neural Regulation of Innate Immunity in Caenorhabditis elegansInsufficient or excessive immune responses to pathogen infection are major causes of disease. Increasing evidence indicates that the nervous system regulates the immune system to help maintain immunological homeostasis. However, the precise mechanisms of this regulation are largely unknown. Here we show the existence of an octopaminergic immunoinhibitory pathway in ...
- Research ArticleNADPH Oxidase and Guanylate Binding Protein 5 Restrict Survival of Avirulent Type III Strains of Toxoplasma gondii in Naive Macrophages
Toxoplasma infections in humans and other mammals are largely controlled by IFN-γ produced by the activated adaptive immune system. However, we still do not completely understand the role of cell-intrinsic functions in controlling Toxoplasma or other apicomplexan infections. The present work identifies intrinsic activities in naive macrophages in counteracting...
- Research ArticleConcurrent Host-Pathogen Transcriptional Responses in a Clostridium perfringens Murine Myonecrosis Infection
Clostridium perfringens is the causative agent of traumatic clostridial myonecrosis, or gas gangrene. In this study, we carried out transcriptional analysis of both the host and the bacterial pathogen in a mouse myonecrosis infection. The results showed that in comparison to mock-infected control tissues, muscle tissues from C. perfringens-infected mice had a significantly altered gene expression profile. In particular...