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Bacterial pathogenesis

Chlamydia keeps cells alive

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 13, page 2 (2015)Cite this article

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During intracellular replication, the bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis modulates stress-related signalling pathways to maintain host cell viability and thereby ensures completion of its life cycle. González et al. show that C. trachomatis induces the degradation of p53, a key host factor involved in apoptosis, to prevent host cell death. p53 degradation was mediated by MDM2, a ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitylates p53 and targets it for proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, inhibition of the p53–MDM2 interaction prevented p53 degradation in infected cells and led to a decrease in infectious progeny, which suggests that the pathogen was unable to complete its normal developmental cycle. Finally, blocking MDM2-induced p53 degradation re-sensitized infected host cells to apoptotic stimuli. In sum, this study reveals a mechanism whereby C. trachomatis interferes with the stress response of the host to ensure its own survival.

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References

  1. González, E. et al. Chlamydia infection depends on a functional MDM2–p53 axis. Nature Commun. 5, 5201 (2014)

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  1. Andrea Du Toit
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Du Toit, A. Chlamydia keeps cells alive. Nat Rev Microbiol 13, 2 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3406

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