A single natural nucleotide mutation alters bacterial pathogen host tropism

Chromatin Remodelling During Host-Bacterial Pathogen Interaction

Bacterial antigenic variation, host immune response, and pathogen-host coevolution.

Many bacterial pathogens are exquisitely adapted to host parasitization. Their niche is primarily determined by the biochemical milieu of the host. As such, pathogens are selected to exhibit environmentally responsive and adaptive molecular traits which allow adherence, entrance, and replication within the host (7, 26). One major set of selective forces which operates to shape the phenotype of ...

Gene regulation mediates host specificity of a bacterial pathogen.

Many bacterial plant pathogens have a gene-for-gene relationship that determines host specificity. However, there are pathogens such as the xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa that do not carry genes considered essential for the gene-for-gene model, such as those coding for a type III secretion system and effector molecules. Nevertheless, X. fastidiosa subspecies are host specific. A com...

Discovery of a Natural Microsporidian Pathogen with a Broad Tissue Tropism in Caenorhabditis elegans

Microbial pathogens often establish infection within particular niches of their host for replication. Determining how infection occurs preferentially in specific host tissues is a key aspect of understanding host-microbe interactions. Here, we describe the discovery of a natural microsporidian parasite of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that displays a unique tissue tropism compared to prev...

Tp53 Mutation and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism

Mutations in the gene TP53, which codifies the tumor suppressor protein p53, are found in about 50% of tumors. These mutations can occur not only at somatic level, but also in germline. Pediatric cancer patients, mostly with additional family history of malignancy, should be considered as potential TP53 germline mutation carriers. Germline TP53 mutations and polymorphisms have been widely studi...