IL-12-induced IFN-gamma production is essential for clearance of Yersinia enterocolitica infection. Similar to IL-12, the recently described cytokine IL-18 (IFN-gamma-inducing factor) is produced by macrophages and induces IFN-gamma production in spleen cells. Therefore, we have investigated the role of IL-18 in Yersinia infection of mice. Heat-killed yersinia-triggered IL-18-promoted IFN-gamma...

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis employs a type III secretion system for targeting of several virulence factors directly to the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. This protein translocation mechanism mediates the ability of Yersinia to resist phagocytosis and is required for sustained extracellular bacterial replication. In the present study, the Yersinia outer protein E (YopE) was used as a carrier molec...

Deciphering the principles how pathogenic bacteria adapt their metabolism to a specific host microenvironment is critical for understanding bacterial pathogenesis. The enteric pathogenic Yersinia species Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia enterocolitica and the causative agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, are able to survive in a large variety of environmental reservoirs (e.g., soil, plant...

Plague is a major health concern and Yersinia pestis plays the central causal role in this disease. Yersinia pestis has developed resistance against the commonly available drugs. So, it is now a key concern to find a new drug target. Cysteine protease YopT enzyme is an important factor used by Yersinia pestis for pathogenesis in its host and it has the anti-phagocytic function of removal of C-t...

The intra- and interspecies genetic relationships of 58 strains representing all currently known species of the genus Yersinia were examined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), using sequence data from 16S RNA, glnA, gyrB, recA, and Y-HSP60 loci. Yersinia aldovae, Y. bercovieri, Y. intermedia, Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. rohdei, and Y. ruckeri were genetically more homogeneous than w...

The outcome of a host-pathogen encounter is determined by virulence factors of the pathogen and defense factors of the host. We characterized the impact of host factors [resistant (C57BL/6) or susceptible (BALB/c) genetic background and exposure to interferon (IFN)-gamma] on transcriptional responses of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) to infection with Yersinia enterocolitica. IFN-gamma ...

Yersinia enterocolitica has been detected in surface water, and drinking untreated water is a risk factor for infection. PCR-based methods have been used to detect Y. enterocolitica in various sample types, but quantitative studies have not been conducted in water. In this study, quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods targeting the Yersinia virulence genes ail and yadA were used to survey the Gr...

Exposure of macrophages to bacteria or LPS mediates activation of signaling pathways that induce expression of self defense-related genes. Pathogenic Yersinia species impair activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB and trigger apoptosis in macrophages. In this study, we dissected the mechanism of apoptosis induction by Yersinia. Selectively, Yersinia enterocolitica strains producing the eff...

Pathogenic bacteria obtain the iron necessary for survival by releasing an iron chelator, termed a siderophore, and retrieving the iron-siderophore complex via a cell surface siderophore receptor. We have exploited the high affinity of Yersinia enterocolitica for its siderophore, deferoxamine, to develop a rapid method for capture and identification of Yersinia. In this methodology, a deferoxam...