Spotlight
Molecular Pathogenesis
Molecular PathogenesisThe Edwardsiella piscicida Type III Effector EseJ Suppresses Expression of Type 1 Fimbriae, Leading to Decreased Bacterial Adherence to Host CellsThe type III secretion system (T3SS) of Edwardsiella piscicida plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Our previous study indicated that the T3SS effector protein EseJ inhibits the bacterium’s adhesion to epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC) cells, while the mechanism of the inhibition remains elusive.
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular Interactions
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsThe HIF-1α/LC3-II Axis Impacts Fungal Immunity in Human MacrophagesThe fungal pathogen Histoplasma capsulatum causes a spectrum of disease, ranging from local pulmonary infection to disseminated disease. The organism seeks residence in macrophages, which are permissive for its survival.
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsNew Zealand White Rabbits Effectively Clear Borrelia burgdorferi B31 despite the Bacterium’s Functional vlsE Antigenic Variation SystemBorrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne bacterium responsible for approximately 300,000 annual cases of Lyme disease (LD) in the United States, with increasing incidences in other parts of the world. The debilitating nature of LD is mainly attributed to the ability of B. burgdorferi to persist in...
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsInfection of Primary Human Alveolar Macrophages Alters Staphylococcus aureus Toxin Production and ActivityPulmonary pathogens encounter numerous insults, including phagocytic cells designed to degrade bacteria, while establishing infection in the human lung. Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile, opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe pneumonia, and methicillin-resistant isolates are of particular concern.
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsTet38 of Staphylococcus aureus Binds to Host Cell Receptor Complex CD36–Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Protects from Teichoic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors Tunicamycin and Congo RedUsing an affinity column retention assay, we showed that the purified Tet38 membrane transporter of Staphylococcus aureus bound specifically to host cell CD36 and to the complex CD36–Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2), but not to TLR-2 alone or TLR-2 and S. aureus lipoteichoic acid (LTA). We tested the...
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsThe Autotransporter IcsA Promotes Shigella flexneri Biofilm Formation in the Presence of Bile SaltsShigella flexneri is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that invades epithelial cells in the colonic mucosa, leading to bloody diarrhea. A previous study showed that S. flexneri forms biofilms in the presence of bile salts, through an unknown mechanism.
Bacterial Infections
Bacterial InfectionsMechanism of Microbicidal Action of E-101 Solution, a Myeloperoxidase-Mediated Antimicrobial, and Its Oxidative ProductsE-101 solution is a first-in-class myeloperoxidase-mediated antimicrobial developed for topical application. It is composed of porcine myeloperoxidase (pMPO), glucose oxidase (GO), glucose, sodium chloride, and specific amino acids in an aqueous solution.
Editor's Pick Bacterial Infections | SpotlightCharacterization of the Horizontal and Vertical Sexual Transmission of Chlamydia Genital Infections in a New Mouse ModelChlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial pathogen worldwide, and there is a need to control this epidemic. So far there is no established animal model in which both the horizontal and the vertical transmission of Chlamydia can be studied. To implement a horizontal sexual transmission model, male mice were inoculated in the...
Bacterial InfectionsRole of Sialic Acid in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae Adhesion to Pig Colonic MucinsInfection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae results in mucoid hemorrhagic diarrhea. This pathogen is associated with the colonic mucus layer, mainly composed of mucins.
Bacterial InfectionsNonhelical Helicobacter pylori Mutants Show Altered Gland Colonization and Elicit Less Gastric Pathology than Helical Bacteria during Chronic InfectionHalf of all humans harbor Helicobacter pylori in their stomachs. Helical cell shape is thought to facilitate H. pylori’s ability to bore into the protective mucus layer in a corkscrew-like motion, thereby enhancing colonization of the stomach.
Host Response and Inflammation
Host Response and InflammationEnterococcus faecalis Gluconate Phosphotransferase System Accelerates Experimental Colitis and Bacterial Killing by MacrophagesEnterococcus faecalis strains are resident intestinal bacteria associated with invasive infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, and colon cancer. Although factors promoting E. faecalis colonization of intestines are not fully known, one implicated pathway is a phosphotransferase system (PTS) in...
Editor's Pick Host Response and Inflammation | SpotlightCitrobacter rodentium Induces Tissue-Resident Memory CD4+ T CellsTissue-resident memory T cells (TRM cells) are a novel population of tissue-restricted antigen-specific T cells. TRM cells are induced by pathogens and promote host defense against secondary infections. Although TRM cells cannot be detected in circulation, they are the major memory CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell population in tissues in mice and humans.
Host Response and InflammationInterleukin 1 Receptor-Like 1 (IL1RL1) Promotes Airway Bacterial and Viral Infection and InflammationInterleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1), also known as suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2), is the receptor for interleukin 33 (IL-33) and has been increasingly studied in type 2 inflammation. An increase in airway IL-33/ST2 signaling in asthma has been associated with eosinophilic inflammation, but little is known about the role of ST2 in neutrophilic inflammation.
Fungal and Parasitic Infections
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsCD4+ T Cell Regulation of Antibodies Cross-Reactive with Fungal Cell Wall-Associated Carbohydrates after Pneumocystis murina InfectionPneumocystis pneumonia is a life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection observed in individuals with severe immunodeficiencies, such as AIDS. Molecules with the ability to bind β-glucan and signal at Fcγ receptors enhance defense against Pneumocystis f.
Microbial Immunity and Vaccines
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesImmunizations with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Heat-Stable Toxin Conjugates Engender Toxin-Neutralizing Antibodies in Mice That Also Cross-React with Guanylin and UroguanylinInfection with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common cause of childhood diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries, as well as of diarrhea among travelers to these countries. In children, ETEC strains secreting the heat-stable toxin (ST) are the most pathogenic, and there are ongoing efforts to develop vaccines that target ST.
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesA Class I Haemophilus ducreyi Strain Containing a Class II hgbA Allele Is Partially Attenuated in Humans: Implications for HgbA Vaccine Efficacy TrialsHaemophilus ducreyi causes chancroid and is a major cause of cutaneous ulcers in children. Due to environmental reservoirs, both class I and class II H. ducreyi strains persist in cutaneous ulcer regions of endemicity following mass drug administration of azithromycin, suggesting the need for a...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesA Chlamydia trachomatis Strain Expressing Ovalbumin Stimulates an Antigen-Specific CD4+ T Cell Response in MiceAntigen-specific CD4+ T cells against Chlamydia are crucial for driving bacterial clearance and mediating protection against reinfection. Although the Chlamydia trachomatis protein Cta1 has been identified to be a dominant murine CD4+ T cell antigen, its level of expression during the bacterial developmental cycle and precise...
Microbial Immunity and VaccinesFunctional Antibodies against Placental Malaria Parasites Are Variant Dependent and Differ by Geographic RegionDuring pregnancy, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE) accumulate in the intervillous spaces of the placenta by binding to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and elicit inflammatory responses that are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Primigravidae lack immunity to IE that sequester in the placenta and thus are susceptible to placental malaria (PM).
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Host-Associated Microbial Communities
Editor's Pick Host-Associated Microbial Communities | SpotlightDiversification and Evolution of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium during Intestinal DominationVancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. This is particularly true in immunocompromised patients, where the damage to the microbiota caused by antibiotics can lead to VRE domination of the intestine, increasing a patient’s risk for bloodstream infection.
Host-Associated Microbial CommunitiesProduction of a Functional Factor, p40, by Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Is Promoted by Intestinal Epithelial Cell-Secreted Extracellular VesiclesThe symbiotic relationship between the gut microbiome and the host provides a nutrient-rich environment for gut microbes and has beneficial effects on host health. Although the composition of the gut microbiome is known to be influenced by both host genetics and environmental factors, host effects on the activities and functions of the gut microbial communities remain poorly understood.
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Infection and Immunity® (IAI) reports key discoveries that help microbiologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, pathologists, and clinicians to gain new insights into the underlying mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and develop novel strategies to prevent or treat infectious diseases.