Infectious diseases caused by bacteria have significant impacts on global public health. During infection, pathogenic bacteria deliver a variety of virulence factors, called effectors, into host cells. The Shigella effector IpaH9.8 functions as an ubiquitin ligase, ubiquitinating the NF-kappa B essential modulator (NEMO)/IKK-gamma to inhibit host inflammatory responses. IpaH9.8 contains leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) involved in substrate recognition and an E3 ligase domain. To elucidate the structural basis of the function of IpaH9.8, the crystal structure of the LRR domain of Shigella IpaH9.8 was determined and this structure was compared with the known structures of other IpaH family members. This model provides insights into the structural features involved in substrate specificity.
Host cells deploy multiple defences against microbial infection. One prominent host defence mechanism, the death of infected cells, plays a pivotal role in clearing damaged cells, eliminating pathogens, removing replicative niches, exposing intracellular bacterial pathogens to extracellular immune surveillance and presenting bacteria-derived antigens to the adaptive immune system. Although cell death can occur under either physiological or pathophysiological conditions, it acts as an innate defence mechanism against bacterial pathogens by limiting their persistent colonization. However, many bacterial pathogens, including Shigella, have evolved mechanisms that manipulate host cell death for their own benefit.
Aaron Irving, Hitomi Mimuro, Thomas Kufer, Camden Lo, Lorinda Turner, Belinda Thomas, John Bertin, Ivo Boneca, Chihiro Sasakawa, Dana Philpott, Richard Ferrero, Maria Kaparakis-Liaskos