Right on Q: genetics begin to unravel Coxiella burnetii host cell interactions.

ABSTRACT: Invasion of macrophages and replication within an acidic and degradative phagolysosome-like vacuole are essential for disease pathogenesis by Coxiella burnetii, the bacterial agent of human Q fever. Previous experimental constraints imposed by the obligate intracellular nature of Coxiella limited knowledge of pathogen strategies that promote infection. Fortunately, new genetic tools facilitated by axenic culture now allow allelic exchange and transposon mutagenesis approaches for virulence gene discovery. Phenotypic screens have illuminated the critical importance of Coxiella's type 4B secretion system in host cell subversion and discovered genes encoding translocated effector proteins that manipulate critical infection events. Here, we highlight the cellular microbiology and genetics of C

SUBMITTER: Larson CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5619019 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature