Space: A Final Frontier for Vacuolar Pathogens

Abstract

There is a fundamental gap in our understanding of how a eukaryotic cell apportions the limited space within its cell membrane. Upon infection, a cell competes with intracellular pathogens for control of this same precious resource. The struggle between pathogen and host provides us with an opportunity to uncover the mechanisms regulating subcellular space by understanding how pathogens modulate vesicular traffic and membrane fusion events to create a specialized compartment for replication. By comparing several important intracellular pathogens, we review the molecular mechanisms and trafficking pathways that drive two space allocation strategies, the formation of tight and spacious pathogen‐containing vacuoles. Additionally, we discuss the potential advantages of each pathogenic lifestyle, the broader implications these lifestyles might have for cellular biology and outline exciting opportunities for future investigation.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Feb 24, 2016
Source ID
10.1111/tra.12382

Entities

People

  • Elizabeth Di Russo Case
  • James E Samuel
  • Judith A. Smith
  • Paul de Figueiredo
  • Thomas A. Ficht

Organizations

  • Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  • Gates Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space