title: Microbial modulation of host immunity with the small molecule phosphorylcholine.
abstract: All microorganisms dependent on persistence in a host for survival rely on either hiding from or modulating host responses to infection. The small molecule phosphorylcholine, or choline phosphate (ChoP), is used for both of these purposes by a wide array of bacterial and parasitic microbes. While the mechanisms underlying ChoP acquisition and expression are diverse, a unifying theme is the use of ChoP to reduce the immune response to infection, creating an advantage for ChoP-expressing microorganisms. In this minireview, we discuss several benefits of ChoP expression during infection as well as how the immune system fights back against ChoP-expressing pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Weiser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010767:Phosphorylcholine