Age-dependent natural killer cell and interferon γ deficits contribute to severe pertussis in infant mice.

Many respiratory infections are selectively injurious to infants, yet the etiology of age-associated susceptibility is unknown. One such bacterial pathogen is Bordetella pertussis. In adult mice, innate interferon γ (IFN-γ) is produced by natural killer (NK) cells and restricts infection to the respiratory tract.

The Itch ubiquitin ligase is required for KSHV RTA induced vFLIP degradation.

Expression of Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus vFLIP, a potent activator of NFkB signaling, promotes latency. Inhibition of NFkB signaling promotes lytic reactivation. We previously reported that lytic inducer, RTA, inhibits vFLIP induced NFkB signaling by inducing the degradation of vFLIP via the proteasome.