Using host-pathogen protein interactions to identify and characterize Francisella tularensis virulence factors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Francisella tularensis is a select bio-threat agent and one of the most virulent intracellular pathogens known, requiring just a few organisms to establish an infection. Although several virulence factors are known, we lack an understanding of virulence factors that act through host-pathogen protein interactions to promote infection. To address these issues in the highly infectious F. tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 strain, we deployed a combined in silico, in vitro, and in vivo analysis to identify virulence factors and their interactions with host proteins to characterize bacterial infection mechanisms.

Results

We initially used comparative genomics and literature to identify and select a set of 49 putative and known virulence factors for analysis. Each pro

SUBMITTER: Wallqvist A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4696196 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature