title: Coxiella type IV secretion and cellular microbiology.
abstract: Coxiella burnetii is a widespread zoonotic bacterial pathogen that causes human Q fever. In vivo, Coxiella displays a tropism for mononuclear phagocytes where it participates in biogenesis of a lysosome-like replication compartment to conduct its obligate intracellular lifestyle. Coxiella actively regulates multiple events during infection, presumably via proteins with effector functions that are delivered to the host cytosol by a Dot/Icm type IV secretion system. Because the organism is currently refractory to genetic manipulation, Coxiella Dot/Icm substrates have been identified using bioinformatics and Legionella pneumophila as a surrogate type IV delivery system. Functional characterization of the biological activity of these effector proteins will dramatically aid our ability to model Coxiella-host cell interactions.
authors.affiliation: Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Voth
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Heinzen
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors