Colonic immune suppression, barrier dysfunction, and dysbiosis by gastrointestinal bacillus anthracis Infection

Article (Faculty180)

cited authors

  • Lightfoot, Yaíma L; Yang, Tao; Sahay, Bikash; Zadeh, Mojgan; Cheng, Sam X; Wang, Gary P; Owen, Jennifer L; Mohamadzadeh, Mansour

description

  • <p>Gastrointestinal (GI) anthrax results from the ingestion of Bacillus anthracis. Herein, we investigated the pathogenesis of GI anthrax in animals orally infected with toxigenic non-encapsulated B. anthracis Sterne strain (pXO1 pXO2-) spores that resulted in rapid animal death. B. anthracis Sterne induced significant breakdown of intestinal barrier function and led to gut dysbiosis, resulting in systemic dissemination of not only B. anthracis, but also of commensals. Disease progression significantly correlated with the deterioration of innate and T cell functions. Our studies provide critical immunologic and physiologic insights into the pathogenesis of GI anthrax infection, whereupon cleavage of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in immune cells may play a central role in promoting dysfunctional immune responses against this deadly pathogen.</p>

authors

publication date

  • 2014

published in

start page

  • e100532

volume

  • 9