Open AccessFeast or famine: the host–pathogen battle over amino acids
Author(s) -
Zhang Yanjia J.,
Rubin Eric J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cellular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.542
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1462-5822
pISSN - 1462-5814
DOI - 10.1111/cmi.12140
Subject(s) - biology , host (biology) , innate immune system , starvation , immunity , subversion , pathogen , symbiosis , immune system , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , immunology , genetics , politics , political science , law , endocrinology
Summary Intracellular bacterial pathogens often rely on their hosts for essential nutrients. Host cells, in turn, attempt to limit nutrient availability, using starvation as a mechanism of innate immunity. Here we discuss both host mechanisms of amino acid starvation and the diverse adaptations of pathogens to their nutrient‐deprived environments. These processes provide both key insights into immune subversion and new targets for drug development.