Cooperation between physiological defenses and immune resistance produces asymptomatic carriage of a lethal bacterial pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Animals evolved two defense strategies to survive infections. Antagonistic strategies include immune resistance mechanisms that operate to kill invading pathogens. Cooperative or physiological defenses mediate host adaptation to the infected state, limiting physiological damage and disease, without killing the pathogen, and have been shown to cause asymptomatic carriage and transmission of lethal pathogens. Here, we demonstrate that physiological defenses cooperate with the adaptive immune response to generate long-term asymptomatic carriage of the lethal enteric murine pathogen, Citrobacter rodentium. Asymptomatic carriage of genetically virulent C. rodentium provided immune resistance against subsequent infections. Immune protection was dependent on systemic antibody respon

SUBMITTER: Chen GY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10289649 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature