Monday 30 December 2013

Why is Yersinia pseudotuberculosis so infectious?

Scientists have discovered what makes a specific strain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis --  one cause of gastrointestinal infections -- so dangerous. The reason is that the bacteria produce a molecule called CNFy that facilitates the infection process for them.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is transmitted via contaminated food and can generate gastro-intestinal diseases.

The bacterium changes the host cells in a manner that enables the injection apparatus of Yersinia, which injects toxins into the cells, to work more efficiently. This strengthens the gastrointestinal infection and leads to inflammation of the tissue.

This finding was made by researchers based at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and at the Hannover Medical School (MHH).

For further details, refer to the following paper:

Janina Schweer, Devesha Kulkarni, Annika Kochut, Joern Pezoldt, Fabio Pisano, Marina C. Pils, Harald Genth, Jochen Huehn, Petra Dersch. The Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (CNFY) Enhances Inflammation and Yop Delivery during Infection by Activation of Rho GTPases. PLoS Pathogens, 2013; 9 (11): e1003746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003746

 Posted by Tim Sandle

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