engleski

A novel approach to understanding pathogenesis of tularemia

Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent facultative intracellular pathogen that causes tularemia, a zoonotic disease that infects mammals and humans. Due to its high infectivity, morbidity, and mortality, F. tularensis has been classified as a category A bioterrorism agent. F. tularensis is transmitted from infected animals to humans by multiple routes and can cause disease of varying severities. In mammals, F. tularensis invades, survives and replicates in variety of cell types including phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells of various species, as well as arthropod-derived cells. The key element of pathogenesis of the disease is bacterial escape from the phagosome into cytosolic replicative niche. Here, we review the intracellular life cycle of Francisella and highlight the intracellular fate of F. tularensis within amoeba cells, in addition to the role of this host-parasite adaptation in the evolution of this pathogen to infect mammals.

Francisella; macrophages; amoeba; mice

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