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MinireviewExtracellular Vesicle Biogenesis and Functions in Gram-Positive BacteriaExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-derived lipid bilayers secreted by bacteria and eukaryotic cells. Bacterial membrane vesicles were discovered over 60 years ago and have been extensively studied in Gram-negative bacteria. During their production, EVs are loaded with proteins, nucleic acids, and various compounds that are subsequently released into the environment. Depending on the packaged cargo, EVs have a broad spectrum of...
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsNonlethal Plasmodium yoelii Infection Drives Complex Patterns of Th2-Type Host Immunity and Mast Cell-Dependent BacteremiaMalaria strongly predisposes to bacteremia, which is associated with sequestration of parasitized red blood cells and increased gastrointestinal permeability. The mechanisms underlying this disruption are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the expression of factors associated with mast cell activation and malaria-associated bacteremia in a rodent model. C57BL/6J mice were infected with...
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsAn Ixodes scapularis Protein Disulfide Isomerase Contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi Colonization of the VectorBorrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, the most common tick-transmitted illness in North America. When Ixodes scapularis feed on an infected vertebrate host, spirochetes enter the tick gut along with the bloodmeal and colonize the vector. Here, we show that a secreted tick protein,...
Host Response and Inflammation | SpotlightSecretion of c-di-AMP by Listeria monocytogenes Leads to a STING-Dependent Antibacterial Response during EnterocolitisStimulator of interferon genes (STING) acts as a cytoplasmic signaling hub of innate immunity that is activated by host-derived or bacterially derived cyclic dinucleotides. Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne, facultative intracellular pathogen that secretes c-di-AMP and activates STING, yet the in vivo role of the STING pathway during bacterial...
Host Response and InflammationPseudomonas aeruginosa Infection Impairs NKG2D-Dependent NK Cell Cytotoxicity through Regulatory T-Cell ActivationNatural killer (NK) cells play a key role in both antibacterial and antitumor immunity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection has already been reported to alter NK cell functions. We studied in vitro the effect of P. aeruginosa on NK cell cytotoxic response (CD107a membrane expression) to a...
Host-Associated Microbial CommunitiesImpact of Diabetes on the Gut and Salivary IgA MicrobiomesMucosal surfaces like those present in the lung, gut, and mouth interface with distinct external environments. These mucosal gateways are not only portals of entry for potential pathogens but also homes to microbial communities that impact host health. Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is the single most abundant acquired immune component secreted onto mucosal surfaces and, via the process of immune exclusion, shapes the architecture of...
Molecular PathogenesisConserved ESX-1 Substrates EspE and EspF Are Virulence Factors That Regulate Gene ExpressionMycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of human tuberculosis, and Mycobacterium marinum, a nontubercular pathogen with a broad host range, require the ESX-1 secretion system for virulence. The ESX-1 system secretes proteins which cause phagosomal lysis within the macrophage via an unknown mechanism....
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsIdentification of Autophagy-Inhibiting Factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by High-Throughput Loss-of-Function ScreeningThe interaction of host cells with mycobacteria is complex and can lead to multiple outcomes ranging from bacterial clearance to progressive or latent infection. Autophagy is recognized as one component of host cell responses that has an essential role in innate and adaptive immunity to intracellular bacteria. Many microbes, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, have...
Molecular PathogenesisCsrA Supports both Environmental Persistence and Host-Associated Growth of Acinetobacter baumanniiAcinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic and frequently multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that primarily infects critically ill individuals. Indirect transmission from patient to patient in hospitals can drive infections, supported by this organism’s abilities to persist on dry surfaces and rapidly colonize susceptible individuals. To investigate...