FIRST PERSON
CELL SCIENTISTS TO WATCH
CELL SCIENCE AT A GLANCE
- Malaria parasite egress at a glance
Summary: Malaria parasite egress from its host cell is a key step in the life cycle of this important pathogen. The article summarises current knowledge of malarial egress and highlights major questions in the field.
REVIEWS
- Mixed signals – how Trypanosoma cruzi exploits host-cell communication and signaling to establish infection
Summary: Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, subverts cell signaling mechanisms to survive in the host. Here, we explain the various cellular mechanisms that T. cruzi hijacks.
- Picornavirus 3C – a protease ensuring virus replication and subverting host responses
Summary: This Review focuses on the structure of 3C and the molecular mechanisms through which it executes both viral and host physiological processes.
- Viral use and subversion of membrane organization and trafficking
Summary: This Review at the intersection of membrane trafficking and virology discusses how viruses hijack the organisation and function of cellular membranes to accomplish their replication, assembly and egress.
- Imaging host–pathogen interactions using epithelial and bacterial cell infection models
Summary: This Review discusses the selection and use of various epithelial cell culture methods and microscopy techniques that can be used to image host–pathogen interactions in vitro.
- Cellular metabolism in the defense against microbes
Summary: This Review highlights diverse strategies through which cellular metabolic processes are rewired to execute defense against microbes.
- The diverse roles and dynamic rearrangement of vimentin during viral infection
Summary: A review on the versatile regulations of vimentin in the key steps during the infection of various viruses, including binding, entry, trafficking, replication, assembly, and egress.
- Emerging roles of non-coding RNAs in vector-borne infections
Summary: A review on the important role of non-coding RNAs in the interaction between vertebrate host cells, arthropod vectors and vector-borne pathogens.
- Vacuolar escape of foodborne bacterial pathogens
Summary: A review of common mechanisms of how intracellular pathogens escape from the lumen of vacuoles in infected host cells. A new mechanism based on oxidation of vacuolar membranes is proposed.
SHORT REPORTS
- Turgor-dependent and coronin-mediated F-actin dynamics drive septin disc-to-ring remodeling in the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae
Summary: Remodeling of incipient septin structures within fungal infection cells requires the pressure-dependent formation of a contractile F-actin ring and is promoted by the actin-modulating protein coronin.
- Unc-13 homolog D mediates an antiviral effect of the chromosome 19 microRNA cluster miR-517a
Summary: The placenta-specific microRNA miR-517a attenuates viral infection. Here we have identified that miR-517a directly targets UNC13D as a part of its antiviral function.
- Dynamic imaging reveals surface exposure of virulent Leishmania amastigotes during pyroptosis of infected macrophages
Summary: High-content real-time imaging of L. amazonensis-infected pyroptotic macrophages reveals surface exposure of virulent amastigotes that are retained through attachment to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Characterization of the novel mitochondrial genome segregation factor TAP110 in Trypanosoma brucei
Summary: TAP110 is a novel mitochondrial genome segregation factor in Trypanosoma brucei that associates with the previously described TAC component TAC102. Ultrastructure expansion microscopy reveals its proximal position to the kDNA.
- Requirement of CRAMP for mouse macrophages to eliminate phagocytosed E. coli through an autophagy pathway
Summary: CRAMP is a critical component in autophagy-mediated clearance of phagocytosed E. coli by mouse macrophages.
- Human microsporidian pathogen Encephalitozoon intestinalis impinges on enterocyte membrane trafficking and signaling
Summary: Characterization of the molecular and ultrastructural pathological effects of Encephalitozoon intestinalis infection in human intestinal epithelial cells.
- Neonatal low-density granulocytes internalize and kill bacteria but suppress monocyte function using extracellular DNA
Summary: Interactions between human neonatal low-density granulocytes and bacteria drive production of extracellular DNA that impairs clearance of bacteria by monocytes and may compromise protective immunity.
- Jagged–Notch-mediated divergence of immune cell crosstalk maintains the anti-inflammatory response in visceral leishmaniasis
Summary: Leishmania donovani redirects macrophage–T cell crosstalk to maintain anti-inflammatory cytokine response via the Jagged–Notch signaling pathway, resulting in immunosuppression during experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
- Human-specific staphylococcal virulence factors enhance pathogenicity in a humanised zebrafish C5a receptor model
Summary: Development of a novel, enhanced Staphylococcus aureus infection model through humanisation of zebrafish enabled us to show the important contribution of S. aureus virulence factors PVL and HlgCB to infection.
- BPIFB3 interacts with ARFGAP1 and TMED9 to regulate non-canonical autophagy and RNA virus infection
Summary: BPIFB3 is a regulator of a non-canonical cellular autophagy pathway that impacts the replication of enteroviruses and flaviviruses. Here, we define ARFGAP1 and TMED9 as essential components of this pathway.
- Vibrio cholerae cytotoxin MakA induces noncanonical autophagy resulting in the spatial inhibition of canonical autophagy
Summary: Analysis of the interaction between MakA and mammalian host cells reveals that the Vibrio cholerae cytotoxin MakA induces endolysosomal aggregate formation in host cells to modulate autophagy.
- FIB-SEM-based analysis of Borrelia intracellular processing by human macrophages
Summary: Interaction of borreliae with human macrophages is visualized by high-resolution tomography, revealing the contribution of membrane tunnels, phagosomes and ER to intracellular processing of spirochetes.
- CMV-encoded GPCR pUL33 activates CREB and facilitates its recruitment to the MIE locus for efficient viral reactivation
Summary: The mechanisms dictating CMV reactivation from latency are incompletely understood. Here, we show the viral-encoded GPCR pUL33 is involved in CREB activation, thus aiding in successful reactivation.
- Endophilin-A2-dependent tubular endocytosis promotes plasma membrane repair and parasite invasion
Summary: Crosstalk between endophilin-A2 and caveolin-1, proteins implicated in clathrin-independent endocytosis, regulates a tubular endocytic pathway important for plasma membrane repair and trypanosome invasion.
- M. tuberculosis infection of human iPSC-derived macrophages reveals complex membrane dynamics during xenophagy evasion
Summary: Following phagosome membrane damage, Mycobacterium tuberculosis induces the formation of, and escapes from, tubulovesicular autophagosomes in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived macrophages.
- Cell-to-cell and genome-to-genome variability of adenovirus transcription tuned by the cell cycle
Summary: Single-cell and single-transcript analyses indicate that the cell cycle state at the time of infection tunes the cell-to-cell variability of immediate early gene transcription of human adenovirus.
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus induces PERK-mediated autophagy to suppress the antiviral interferon response
Summary: Foot-and-mouth disease virus infection induces ER stress and the PERK-mediated UPR, which activates autophagic flux to promote virus multiplication by affecting antiviral interferon production.
- Proteomic and mechanistic dissection of the poxvirus-customized ribosome
Summary: Through ribosome isolation and mass spectrometry approaches, we characterize novel modifications to ribosomal proteins during poxvirus infection.
- Real-time dynamics of Plasmodium NDC80 reveals unusual modes of chromosome segregation during parasite proliferation
Summary: Dynamic localisation of the NDC80 protein complex, a kinetochore marker, during proliferative stages of the malaria parasite life cycle reveals unique modes of chromosome segregation.
- Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B is involved in efficient type I interferon secretion upon viral infection
Summary: PTP1B specifically promotes the secretion of type I IFNs independently of its phosphatase activity, but requiring its proper localization to the ER membrane.
- Convergent Met and voltage-gated Ca2+ channel signaling drives hypermigration of Toxoplasma-infected dendritic cells
Summary: The parasite T. gondii hijacks the Ras–Erk, Met and Ca2+ signaling machinery to control the migration of immune cells and promote its own dissemination.
- A function of profilin in force generation during malaria parasite motility that is independent of actin binding
Summary: Biochemical, computational, reverse genetic and biophysical approaches show that a divergent motif of profilin has a role in Plasmodium sporozoite migration, which is important for malaria transmission.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
- An endometrial organoid model of interactions between Chlamydia and epithelial and immune cells
Summary: 3D endometrial organoids are used to model Chlamydia infection and the role of secreted virulence factors in reprogramming host epithelial cells and immune cell recruitment.