Work

Trans‐species communication in the M ycobacterium tuberculosis‐infected macrophage

Year: 2015

Type: review

Abstract: Much of the infection cycle of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is spent within its host cell, the macrophage. As a consequence of the chronic, enduring nature of the infection, this cell-cell interaction has become highly intimate, and the bacterium has evolved to detect, react to, and manipulate the evolving, immune-modulated phenotype of its host. In this review, we discuss the nature of the endosomal/lysosomal continuum, the characterization of the bacterium's transcriptional responses during the infection cycle, and the dominant environmental cues that shape this response. We also discuss how the metabolism of both cells is modulated by the infection and the impact that this has on the progression of the granuloma. Finally, we detail how these transcriptional responses can be exploited to construct reporter bacterial strains to probe the temporal and spatial environmental shifts experienced by Mtb during the course of experimental infections. These reporter strains provide new insights into the fitness of Mtb under immune- and drug-mediated pressure.

Source: Immunological Reviews

DOI: 10.1111/imr.12254

Authors: Shumin Tan, David G. Russell

Institutions: Cornell University, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases