Coxiella burnetii: turning hostility into a home. (30th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moffatt, Jennifer H.; Newton, Patrice; Newton, Hayley J.
• Is Part Of: Cellular microbiology. Volume 17:Number 5(2015:May)
• Page Start: 621
• Page End: 631
• Publication Date: 2015-03-30
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Host-parasite relationships -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Cells -- Periodicals; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Microbiologie; Relation hôte-parasite; Cytologie; Cellule; Réponse cellulaire; Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); 579.05
• DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12432
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-5814

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <p> <italic>C</italic> <italic>oxiella burnetii</italic>, the causative agent of the human disease Q fever, is a unique intracellular bacterial pathogen. <italic>Coxiella</italic> replicates to high numbers within a pathogen‐derived lysosome‐like vacuole, thriving within a low pH, highly proteolytic and oxidative environment. In 2009, researchers developed means to axenically culture <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic> paving the way for the development of tools to genetically manipulate the organism. These advances have revolutionized our capacity to examine the pathogenesis of <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic>. In recent years, targeted and random mutant strains have been used to demonstrate that the Dot/Icm type IV secretion system is essential for intracellular replication of <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic>. Current research is focused towards understanding the unique cohort of over 130 effector proteins that are translocated into the host cell. Mutagenesis screens have been employed to identify effectors that play important roles for the biogenesis of the <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic>‐containing vacuole and intracellular replication of <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic>. A surprisingly high number of effector mutants demonstrate significant intracellular growth defects, and future studies on the molecular function of these effectors will provide great insight into the pathogenesis of <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic>. Already, this expanse of new data implicates many eukaryotic processes that are targeted by the arsenal of <italic>C</italic><italic>oxiella</italic> effectors including autophagy, apoptosis and vesicular trafficking.</p> </abstract>