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Common infection strategies of pathogenic eukaryotes

Common infection strategies of pathogenic eukaryotes Divergent eukaryotic pathogens use common host-targeting signals in both animal and plant hosts. The first identification of a eukaryotic pathogen host-targeting signal was made in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This led to the first definition of the host-targeted 'secretome' of a eukaryotic pathogen. A functionally equivalent signal is conserved in the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, showing that the host-targeting signal is shared in an apicomplexan and an oomycete. The size and complexity of the predicted host-targeted secretome is significantly greater than that predicted for signal-mediated effectors in prokaryotic pathogens. The predicted involvement of hundreds of effectors indicates diverse mechanisms are involved in host remodelling by animal and plant pathogens. Analyses of common and contrasting domains in the effector secretomes reveal ABC transporters, post-translational or protein folding events in host remodelling, combined with expansions in specific gene families linked to virulence and evolution. Analyses of the invasion mechanisms and secreted proteases of P. infestans and P. falciparum indicate a broader similarity in a wide range of pathogenicity mechanisms between animal and plant parasites than is currently appreciated. Phylogenetic trees highlighting the major groups of animal and plant pathogens show that apicomplexans and oomycetes are divergent but more related to each other than to other pathogen groups, such as fungi, suggesting the need for a re-evaluation of their similarities, based on phylogeny and cellular similarities. With the emerging genomics resources for eukaryotic parasites, it is important to appreciate that, like prokaryotes, similarities exist across divergent eukaryotic microorganisms and these could be exploited to elucidate new concepts in eukaryotic pathogenesis and potential new treatments for difficult infections. We are on the cusp of unique opportunities for the comparative genomics of eukaryotic microorganisms and these will be augmented by an understanding of common pathogenicity mechanisms in divergent species and an appreciation how such conserved mechanisms manifest themselves. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Reviews Microbiology Springer Journals

Common infection strategies of pathogenic eukaryotes

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References (67)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 by Nature Publishing Group
Subject
Life Sciences; Life Sciences, general; Microbiology; Medical Microbiology; Parasitology; Infectious Diseases; Virology
ISSN
1740-1526
eISSN
1740-1534
DOI
10.1038/nrmicro1549
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Divergent eukaryotic pathogens use common host-targeting signals in both animal and plant hosts. The first identification of a eukaryotic pathogen host-targeting signal was made in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This led to the first definition of the host-targeted 'secretome' of a eukaryotic pathogen. A functionally equivalent signal is conserved in the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans, showing that the host-targeting signal is shared in an apicomplexan and an oomycete. The size and complexity of the predicted host-targeted secretome is significantly greater than that predicted for signal-mediated effectors in prokaryotic pathogens. The predicted involvement of hundreds of effectors indicates diverse mechanisms are involved in host remodelling by animal and plant pathogens. Analyses of common and contrasting domains in the effector secretomes reveal ABC transporters, post-translational or protein folding events in host remodelling, combined with expansions in specific gene families linked to virulence and evolution. Analyses of the invasion mechanisms and secreted proteases of P. infestans and P. falciparum indicate a broader similarity in a wide range of pathogenicity mechanisms between animal and plant parasites than is currently appreciated. Phylogenetic trees highlighting the major groups of animal and plant pathogens show that apicomplexans and oomycetes are divergent but more related to each other than to other pathogen groups, such as fungi, suggesting the need for a re-evaluation of their similarities, based on phylogeny and cellular similarities. With the emerging genomics resources for eukaryotic parasites, it is important to appreciate that, like prokaryotes, similarities exist across divergent eukaryotic microorganisms and these could be exploited to elucidate new concepts in eukaryotic pathogenesis and potential new treatments for difficult infections. We are on the cusp of unique opportunities for the comparative genomics of eukaryotic microorganisms and these will be augmented by an understanding of common pathogenicity mechanisms in divergent species and an appreciation how such conserved mechanisms manifest themselves.

Journal

Nature Reviews Microbiology – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 6, 2006

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