Reverse transcriptase inhibitors prevent liver abscess formation during Escherichia coli bloodstream infection.

ABSTRACT: The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream is associated with severe clinical outcomes. In mice, intravenous inoculation of Escherichia coli can lead to the formation of macroscopic abscesses in the liver. Abscesses are regions of severe necrosis and consist of millions of bacteria surrounded by inflammatory immune cells. Liver abscess susceptibility varies widely across strains of mice, but the host factors governing this variation are unknown. Here, we profiled hepatic transcriptomes in mice with varying susceptibility to liver abscess formation. We found that transcripts from endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are robustly induced in the liver by E. coli infection and ERV expression positively correlates with the frequency of abscess formation. Hypothesizing that ERV-encoded

SUBMITTER: Hullahalli K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10823173 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature