title: Shigella hacks host immune responses by reprogramming the host epigenome.
abstract: Bacterial pathogens alter host transcriptional programs to promote infection. Shigella OspF is an essential virulence protein with a unique phosphothreonine lyase activity. A new study in The EMBO Journal (Harouz et al, 2014) reveals a novel function of OspF: targeting of heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ) and downregulation of a subset of immune genes. These results illustrate how bacterial pathogens exploit epigenetic modifications to counteract host immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Infection Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashida
authors.affiliation: Division of Bacterial Infection Biology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Minato-ku Tokyo, Japan Nippon Institute for Biological Science, Ome Tokyo, Japan Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, Chuo-ku Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasakawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism*; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000378:metabolism*; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D000090266:Chromobox Protein Homolog 5; D019757:Carbon-Oxygen Lyases