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Youngblom MA, Imhoff MR, Smyth LM, Mohamed MA, Pepperell CS. Portrait of a generalist bacterium: pathoadaptation, metabolic specialization and extreme environments shape diversity of Staphylococcus saprophyticus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.18.553882. [PMID: 37645846 PMCID: PMC10462137 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.18.553882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a Gram-positive, coagulase-negative staphylococcus found in diverse environments including soil and freshwater, meat, and dairy foods. S. saprophyticus is also an important cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in humans, and mastitis in cattle. However, the genetic determinants of virulence have not yet been identified, and it remains unclear whether there are distinct sub-populations adapted to human and animal hosts. Using a diverse sample of S. saprophyticus isolates from food, animals, environmental sources, and human infections, we characterized the population structure and diversity of global populations of S. saprophyticus . We found that divergence of the two major clades of S. saprophyticus is likely facilitated by barriers to horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and differences in metabolism. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) tools we identified the first Type VII secretion system (T7SS) described in S. saprophyticus and its association with bovine mastitis. Finally, we found that in general, strains of S. saprophyticus from different niches are genetically similar with the exception of built environments, which function as a 'sink' for S. saprophyticus populations. This work increases our understanding of the ecology of S. saprophyticus and of the genomics of bacterial generalists. Data summary Raw sequencing data for newly sequenced S. saprophyticus isolates have been deposited to the NCBI SRA under the project accession PRJNA928770. A list of all genomes used in this work and their associated metadata are available in the supplementary material. Custom scripts used in the comparative genomics and GWAS analyses are available here: https://github.com/myoungblom/sapro_genomics . Impact statement It is not known whether human and cattle diseases caused by S. saprophyticus represent spillover events from a generalist adapted to survive in a range of environments, or whether the capacity to cause disease represents a specific adaptation. Seasonal cycles of S. saprophyticus UTIs and molecular epidemiological evidence suggest that these infections may be environmentally-acquired rather than via transmission from person to person. Using comparative genomics and genome wide association study tools, we found that S. saprophyticus appears adapted to inhabit a wide range of environments (generalist), with isolates from animals, food, natural environments and human infections being closely related. Bacteria that routinely switch environments, particularly between humans and animals, are of particular concern when it comes to the spread of antibiotic resistance from farm environments into human populations. This work provides a framework for comparative genomic analyses of bacterial generalists and furthers our understanding of how bacterial populations move between humans, animals, and the environment.
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The Urinary Microbiome and Bladder Cancer. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13030812. [PMID: 36983967 PMCID: PMC10053959 DOI: 10.3390/life13030812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer worldwide. Approximately 75% of patients with bladder cancer will present with non-muscle invasive disease. Patients are usually treated with transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), in addition to adjuvant intravesical therapy (chemotherapy or anti-cancer immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette Guerin- BCG) for those at intermediate-risk and high-risk of recurrence and progression. For many years, urine has been thought to be “sterile”; however, advanced microbiological and molecular techniques, including 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) sequencing, have negated that previous paradigm and confirmed the presence of a urinary microbiome. The urinary microbiome has been associated with several urological diseases, including interstitial cystitis, urgency urinary incontinence, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, and others. More recently, many reports are emerging about the role of the urinary microbiome in urothelial carcinogenesis, including gender disparity in bladder cancer and responses to treatments. The urinary microbiome may serve as a biomarker that can help with risk stratification as well as prediction of the response to intravesical therapies. However, the microbiome literature has been hampered by the lack of a unified standardized methodology for sample collection, type, preservation, processing, as well as bioinformatics analysis. Herein we describe and critique the literature on the association between urinary microbiome and bladder cancer and highlight some of the future directions.
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In Vivo Role of Two-Component Regulatory Systems in Models of Urinary Tract Infections. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010119. [PMID: 36678467 PMCID: PMC9861413 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-component signaling systems (TCSs) are finely regulated mechanisms by which bacteria adapt to environmental conditions by modifying the expression of target genes. In bacterial pathogenesis, TCSs play important roles in modulating adhesion to mucosal surfaces, resistance to antibiotics, and metabolic adaptation. In the context of urinary tract infections (UTI), one of the most common types infections causing significant health problems worldwide, uropathogens use TCSs for adaptation, survival, and establishment of pathogenicity. For example, uropathogens can exploit TCSs to survive inside bladder epithelial cells, sense osmolar variations in urine, promote their ascension along the urinary tract or even produce lytic enzymes resulting in exfoliation of the urothelium. Despite the usefulness of studying the function of TCSs in in vitro experimental models, it is of primary necessity to study bacterial gene regulation also in the context of host niches, each displaying its own biological, chemical, and physical features. In light of this, the aim of this review is to provide a concise description of several bacterial TCSs, whose activity has been described in mouse models of UTI.
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Li L, Li Y, Yang J, Xie X, Chen H. The immune responses to different Uropathogens call individual interventions for bladder infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:953354. [PMID: 36081496 PMCID: PMC9445553 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.953354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by uropathogens is the most common infectious disease and significantly affects all aspects of the quality of life of the patients. However, uropathogens are increasingly becoming antibiotic-resistant, which threatens the only effective treatment option available-antibiotic, resulting in higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays, and increased mortality. Currently, people are turning their attention to the immune responses, hoping to find effective immunotherapeutic interventions which can be alternatives to the overuse of antibiotic drugs. Bladder infections are caused by the main nine uropathogens and the bladder executes different immune responses depending on the type of uropathogens. It is essential to understand the immune responses to diverse uropathogens in bladder infection for guiding the design and development of immunotherapeutic interventions. This review firstly sorts out and comparatively analyzes the immune responses to the main nine uropathogens in bladder infection, and summarizes their similarities and differences. Based on these immune responses, we innovatively propose that different microbial bladder infections should adopt corresponding immunomodulatory interventions, and the same immunomodulatory intervention can also be applied to diverse microbial infections if they share the same effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlong Li
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Li
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiali Yang
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiang Xie
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, Model Animal and Human Disease Research of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang Xie, ; Huan Chen,
| | - Huan Chen
- The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Nucleic Acid Medicine of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiang Xie, ; Huan Chen,
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van Belkum A, Almeida C, Bardiaux B, Barrass SV, Butcher SJ, Çaykara T, Chowdhury S, Datar R, Eastwood I, Goldman A, Goyal M, Happonen L, Izadi-Pruneyre N, Jacobsen T, Johnson PH, Kempf VAJ, Kiessling A, Bueno JL, Malik A, Malmström J, Meuskens I, Milner PA, Nilges M, Pamme N, Peyman SA, Rodrigues LR, Rodriguez-Mateos P, Sande MG, Silva CJ, Stasiak AC, Stehle T, Thibau A, Vaca DJ, Linke D. Host-Pathogen Adhesion as the Basis of Innovative Diagnostics for Emerging Pathogens. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11071259. [PMID: 34359341 PMCID: PMC8305138 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11071259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases are an existential health threat, potentiated by emerging and re-emerging viruses and increasing bacterial antibiotic resistance. Targeted treatment of infectious diseases requires precision diagnostics, especially in cases where broad-range therapeutics such as antibiotics fail. There is thus an increasing need for new approaches to develop sensitive and specific in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests. Basic science and translational research are needed to identify key microbial molecules as diagnostic targets, to identify relevant host counterparts, and to use this knowledge in developing or improving IVD. In this regard, an overlooked feature is the capacity of pathogens to adhere specifically to host cells and tissues. The molecular entities relevant for pathogen–surface interaction are the so-called adhesins. Adhesins vary from protein compounds to (poly-)saccharides or lipid structures that interact with eukaryotic host cell matrix molecules and receptors. Such interactions co-define the specificity and sensitivity of a diagnostic test. Currently, adhesin-receptor binding is typically used in the pre-analytical phase of IVD tests, focusing on pathogen enrichment. Further exploration of adhesin–ligand interaction, supported by present high-throughput “omics” technologies, might stimulate a new generation of broadly applicable pathogen detection and characterization tools. This review describes recent results of novel structure-defining technologies allowing for detailed molecular analysis of adhesins, their receptors and complexes. Since the host ligands evolve slowly, the corresponding adhesin interaction is under selective pressure to maintain a constant receptor binding domain. IVD should exploit such conserved binding sites and, in particular, use the human ligand to enrich the pathogen. We provide an inventory of methods based on adhesion factors and pathogen attachment mechanisms, which can also be of relevance to currently emerging pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex van Belkum
- BioMérieux, Open Innovation & Partnerships, 38390 La Balme Les Grottes, France;
- Correspondence: (A.v.B.); (D.L.)
| | | | - Benjamin Bardiaux
- Institut Pasteur, Structural Biology and Chemistry, 75724 Paris, France; (B.B.); (N.I.-P.); (T.J.); (M.N.)
| | - Sarah V. Barrass
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.V.B.); (S.J.B.); (A.G.)
| | - Sarah J. Butcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.V.B.); (S.J.B.); (A.G.)
| | - Tuğçe Çaykara
- Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials, 4760-034 Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal; (T.Ç.); (C.J.S.)
| | - Sounak Chowdhury
- Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 22242 Lund, Sweden; (S.C.); (L.H.); (J.M.)
| | - Rucha Datar
- BioMérieux, Microbiology R&D, 38390 La Balme Les Grottes, France;
| | | | - Adrian Goldman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (S.V.B.); (S.J.B.); (A.G.)
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Manisha Goyal
- BioMérieux, Open Innovation & Partnerships, 38390 La Balme Les Grottes, France;
| | - Lotta Happonen
- Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 22242 Lund, Sweden; (S.C.); (L.H.); (J.M.)
| | - Nadia Izadi-Pruneyre
- Institut Pasteur, Structural Biology and Chemistry, 75724 Paris, France; (B.B.); (N.I.-P.); (T.J.); (M.N.)
| | - Theis Jacobsen
- Institut Pasteur, Structural Biology and Chemistry, 75724 Paris, France; (B.B.); (N.I.-P.); (T.J.); (M.N.)
| | - Pirjo H. Johnson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Volkhard A. J. Kempf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (V.A.J.K.); (A.T.); (D.J.V.)
| | - Andreas Kiessling
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Juan Leva Bueno
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Anchal Malik
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Johan Malmström
- Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 22242 Lund, Sweden; (S.C.); (L.H.); (J.M.)
| | - Ina Meuskens
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Paul A. Milner
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Michael Nilges
- Institut Pasteur, Structural Biology and Chemistry, 75724 Paris, France; (B.B.); (N.I.-P.); (T.J.); (M.N.)
| | - Nicole Pamme
- School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; (N.P.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Sally A. Peyman
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; (P.H.J.); (A.K.); (J.L.B.); (A.M.); (P.A.M.); (S.A.P.)
| | - Ligia R. Rodrigues
- CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (L.R.R.); (M.G.S.)
| | - Pablo Rodriguez-Mateos
- School of Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK; (N.P.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Maria G. Sande
- CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (L.R.R.); (M.G.S.)
| | - Carla Joana Silva
- Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials, 4760-034 Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal; (T.Ç.); (C.J.S.)
| | - Aleksandra Cecylia Stasiak
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.C.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Thilo Stehle
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (A.C.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Arno Thibau
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (V.A.J.K.); (A.T.); (D.J.V.)
| | - Diana J. Vaca
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (V.A.J.K.); (A.T.); (D.J.V.)
| | - Dirk Linke
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway;
- Correspondence: (A.v.B.); (D.L.)
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Lawal OU, Fraqueza MJ, Bouchami O, Worning P, Bartels MD, Gonçalves ML, Paixão P, Gonçalves E, Toscano C, Empel J, Urbaś M, Domínguez MA, Westh H, de Lencastre H, Miragaia M. Foodborne Origin and Local and Global Spread of Staphylococcus saprophyticus Causing Human Urinary Tract Infections. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:880-893. [PMID: 33622483 PMCID: PMC7920669 DOI: 10.3201/eid2703.200852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus saprophyticus is a primary cause of community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) in young women. S. saprophyticus colonizes humans and animals but basic features of its molecular epidemiology are undetermined. We conducted a phylogenomic analysis of 321 S. saprophyticus isolates collected from human UTIs worldwide during 1997–2017 and 232 isolates from human UTIs and the pig-processing chain in a confined region during 2016–2017. We found epidemiologic and genomic evidence that the meat-production chain is a major source of S. saprophyticus causing human UTIs; human microbiota is another possible origin. Pathogenic S. saprophyticus belonged to 2 lineages with distinctive genetic features that are globally and locally disseminated. Pangenome-wide approaches identified a strong association between pathogenicity and antimicrobial resistance, phages, platelet binding proteins, and an increased recombination rate. Our study provides insight into the origin, transmission, and population structure of pathogenic S. saprophyticus and identifies putative new virulence factors.
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Prevalence of virulence genes in Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from women with urinary tract infections in Lagos State. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Becker K, Both A, Weißelberg S, Heilmann C, Rohde H. Emergence of coagulase-negative staphylococci. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2020; 18:349-366. [DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2020.1730813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Becker
- Friedrich Loeffler-Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Anna Both
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Samira Weißelberg
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christine Heilmann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Holger Rohde
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Pickering AC, Vitry P, Prystopiuk V, Garcia B, Höök M, Schoenebeck J, Geoghegan JA, Dufrêne YF, Fitzgerald JR. Host-specialized fibrinogen-binding by a bacterial surface protein promotes biofilm formation and innate immune evasion. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007816. [PMID: 31216354 PMCID: PMC6602291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrinogen is an essential part of the blood coagulation cascade and a major component of the extracellular matrix in mammals. The interface between fibrinogen and bacterial pathogens is an important determinant of the outcome of infection. Here, we demonstrate that a canine host-restricted skin pathogen, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, produces a cell wall-associated protein (SpsL) that has evolved the capacity for high strength binding to canine fibrinogen, with reduced binding to fibrinogen of other mammalian species including humans. Binding occurs via the surface-expressed N2N3 subdomains, of the SpsL A-domain, to multiple sites in the fibrinogen α-chain C-domain by a mechanism analogous to the classical dock, lock, and latch binding model. Host-specific binding is dependent on a tandem repeat region of the fibrinogen α-chain, a region highly divergent between mammals. Of note, we discovered that the tandem repeat region is also polymorphic in different canine breeds suggesting a potential influence on canine host susceptibility to S. pseudintermedius infection. Importantly, the strong host-specific fibrinogen-binding interaction of SpsL to canine fibrinogen is essential for bacterial aggregation and biofilm formation, and promotes resistance to neutrophil phagocytosis, suggesting a key role for the interaction during pathogenesis. Taken together, we have dissected a bacterial surface protein-ligand interaction resulting from the co-evolution of host and pathogen that promotes host-specific innate immune evasion and may contribute to its host-restricted ecology. Many bacterial pathogens are specialized for a single host-species and rarely cause infections of other hosts. Our understanding of the bacterial factors underpinning host-specificity are limited. Here we demonstrate that a canine host-restricted bacterial pathogen, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, produces a surface protein (SpsL) that has the ability to preferentially bind to canine fibrinogen with high strength. This host-specific interaction has evolved via binding to a tandem repeat region of the fibrinogen α-chain which is divergent among mammalian species. Importantly, we found that the strong binding interaction with canine fibrinogen promotes bacterial aggregation and biofilm formation as well as inhibiting neutrophil phagocytosis. Our findings reveal the host-adaptive evolution of a key bacterium-host interaction that promotes evasion of the host immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C. Pickering
- The Roslin Institute and Edinburgh Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Vitry
- Institute of Life Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Valeriia Prystopiuk
- Institute of Life Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Brandon Garcia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody school of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Magnus Höök
- Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Schoenebeck
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joan A. Geoghegan
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yves F. Dufrêne
- Institute of Life Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Wavre, Belgium
| | - J. Ross Fitzgerald
- The Roslin Institute and Edinburgh Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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