title: Type IV secretion system of Brucella spp. and its effectors.
abstract: Brucella spp. are intracellular bacterial pathogens that cause infection in domestic and wild animals. They are often used as model organisms to study intracellular bacterial infections. Brucella VirB T4SS is a key virulence factor that plays important roles in mediating intracellular survival and manipulating host immune response to infection. In this review, we discuss the roles of Brucella VirB T4SS and 15 effectors that are proposed to be crucial for Brucella pathogenesis. VirB T4SS regulates the inflammation response and manipulates vesicle trafficking inside host cells. VirB T4SS also plays crucial roles in the inhibition of the host immune response and intracellular survival during infection. Here, we list the key molecular events in the intracellular life cycle of Brucella that are potentially targeted by the VirB T4SS effectors. Elucidating the functions of these effectors will help clarify the molecular role of T4SS during infection. Furthermore, studying the effectors secreted by Brucella spp. might provide insights into the mechanisms used by the bacteria to hijack the host signaling pathways and aid in the development of better vaccines and therapies against brucellosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, AMMS Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yuehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yufei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of General Hospital of People's Liberation Army Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wengfeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, AMMS Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zeliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002002:Brucella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D021381:Protein Transport; D000069319:Type IV Secretion Systems / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000069319:Type IV Secretion Systems; D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Brucella; effector; intracellular survival; signaling pathway; type IV secretion