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Host-Pathogen Interactions: What the EHEC Are We Learning from Host Genome-Wide Screens?
Jason P Lynch1,2,3, Cammie F Lesser4,2,3
1Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Mbio
|October 11, 2018
Summary
Genome-wide screens identified host factors crucial for bacterial pathogenesis. A new study reveals a link between enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are essential bacterial virulence factors.
- Genome-wide screens identify host factors in bacterial pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify host cell factors involved in enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) pathogenesis.
- To investigate the link between EHEC's T3SS and Shiga toxins.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout library screening.
- Analysis of host proteins mediating bacterial-host interactions.
Main Results:
- A novel connection between EHEC's T3SS and Shiga toxins was discovered.
- Multiple host cell determinants were identified, primarily involved in early T3SS-host interactions.
- Limited overlap was observed between different genome-wide screening approaches.
Conclusions:
- Host cell factors play a critical role in EHEC pathogenesis.
- Further research is needed to understand the discrepancies between screening methods and optimize follow-up studies.
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