Intracellular niche switching as host subversion strategy of bacterial pathogens

Maximiliano G. Gutierrez (1) , Jost Enninga (2)

1 The Francis Crick Institute [London]
2 Dynamique des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène - Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions

Numerous bacterial pathogens “confine” themselves within host cells with an intracellular localization as main or exclusive niche. Many of them switch dynamically between a membrane-bound or cytosolic lifestyle. This requires either membrane damage and/or repair of the bacterial-containing compartment. Niche switching has profound consequences on how the host cell recognizes the pathogens in time and space for elimination. Moreover, niche switching impacts how bacteria communicate with host cells to obtain nutrients, and it affects the accessibility to antibiotics. Understanding the local environments and cellular phenotypes that lead to niche switching is critical for developing new host-targeted antimicrobial strategies, and has the potential to shed light into fundamental cellular processes.

Domains: Biochemistry [q-bio.BM]; Cell Behavior [q-bio.CB]

Maximiliano G. Gutierrez, Jost Enninga. Intracellular niche switching as host subversion strategy of bacterial pathogens. Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 2022, 76, pp.102081. ⟨10.1016/j.ceb.2022.102081⟩. ⟨pasteur-03716706⟩