About this Research Topic
The control of bacterial and parasitic infections requires the induction of a protective host response including an adequate innate and adaptive immune responses, limitation and repair of tissue damage, and, in intracellular infections, pathogen-directed intracellular effector mechanisms. All of these host responses critically depend on the post-translational dynamic ubiquitination and deubiquitination of host cell proteins. Ubiquitin (Ub) is a small (76 amino acid) regulatory protein, which can be covalently linked to the substrate molecules by a process known as ubiquitination. Depending on the type of target protein ubiquitination (mono-ubiquitination, multi-mono-ubiquitination, polyubiquitination with mixed and branched chains), the substrate protein may be targeted for degradation or its function may be regulated. Ubiquitination is reversible and ubiquitin can be cleaved from substrate proteins by deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs). In addition to ubiquitination/deubiquitination, small ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) such as SUMO, NED88, ISG15, FAT10 and their counterregulatory processes regulate the host response in bacterial and parasitic infections.
Increasing numbers of bacterial and parasitic infections pose a threat to global public health. The problem of drug resistance and the dearth of new anti-bacterial and parasitic molecules call for alternative strategies targeting host cell proteins to improve the resistance and control of these infections. In this regard, the host Ub and UBL system plays a pivotal role in the modulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, host cell survival, integrity of host cell barriers (blood-brain barrier, intestine, skin) and limitation of tissue damage. Based these important protective functions, bacterial and parasitic pathogens have evolved mechanisms to directly counteract proteins of the Ub and UBL system to survive and spread within the host. Therefore, understating the host Ub and UBL system will help in identifying potential new targets, which could be exploited for therapeutic interventions.
Despite considerable progress in our understanding on the mechanisms of the Ub and UBLs system in bacterial and parasitic infections, our knowledge on its function is still limited.
With this Research Topic, we aim to summarize and to extent our understanding on the mechanisms by which the Ub and UBL system regulates the outcome of bacterial and parasitic infections in both humans as well as in animal disease models.
We encourage the submission of original full-length articles, short communication, and review articles covering all aspects of the Ub and UBL system in bacterial and parasitic infections, including emerging concepts and future perspectives.
Increasing numbers of bacterial and parasitic infections pose a threat to global public health. The problem of drug resistance and the dearth of new anti-bacterial and parasitic molecules call for alternative strategies targeting host cell proteins to improve the resistance and control of these infections. In this regard, the host Ub and UBL system plays a pivotal role in the modulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses, host cell survival, integrity of host cell barriers (blood-brain barrier, intestine, skin) and limitation of tissue damage. Based these important protective functions, bacterial and parasitic pathogens have evolved mechanisms to directly counteract proteins of the Ub and UBL system to survive and spread within the host. Therefore, understating the host Ub and UBL system will help in identifying potential new targets, which could be exploited for therapeutic interventions.
Despite considerable progress in our understanding on the mechanisms of the Ub and UBLs system in bacterial and parasitic infections, our knowledge on its function is still limited.
With this Research Topic, we aim to summarize and to extent our understanding on the mechanisms by which the Ub and UBL system regulates the outcome of bacterial and parasitic infections in both humans as well as in animal disease models.
We encourage the submission of original full-length articles, short communication, and review articles covering all aspects of the Ub and UBL system in bacterial and parasitic infections, including emerging concepts and future perspectives.
Keywords: Ubiquitination, Deubiquitination, Ubiquitin-like modifiers, SUMO, ISG15, Bacterial infection, Parasitic infection
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