Guallar-Garrido S, Soldati T. Exploring host-pathogen interactions in the Dictyostelium discoideum-Mycobacterium marinum infection model of tuberculosis.
Dis Model Mech 2024;
17:dmm050698. [PMID:
39037280 DOI:
10.1242/dmm.050698]
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Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a pathogenic mycobacterium that causes tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a significant global health concern that poses numerous clinical challenges, particularly in terms of finding effective treatments for patients. Throughout evolution, host immune cells have developed cell-autonomous defence strategies to restrain and eliminate mycobacteria. Concurrently, mycobacteria have evolved an array of virulence factors to counteract these host defences, resulting in a dynamic interaction between host and pathogen. Here, we review recent findings, including those arising from the use of the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as a model to investigate key mycobacterial infection pathways. D. discoideum serves as a scalable and genetically tractable model for human phagocytes, providing valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions. We also highlight certain similarities between M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum, and the use of M. marinum to more safely investigate mycobacteria in D. discoideum.
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