Publications by authors named "Gudrun Pfaffinger"

Article Synopsis
  • Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium found in half of the global population, is a major cause of stomach conditions like chronic gastritis and is linked to gastric cancer due to its genetic diversity and mutator nature.
  • The study investigates how the bacterium incorporates DNA from its environment, revealing that the UvrC endonuclease is crucial for integrating short DNA fragments (microimports) but not for longer fragments (macroimports) or for UV light protection.
  • The researchers propose a new model for how homologous recombination functions in H. pylori, suggesting that the microimports originate from a single strand invasion process during DNA recombination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The human pathogen Helicobacter pylori displays extensive genetic diversity. While H. pylori is known to evolve during infection, population dynamics inside the gastric environment have not been extensively investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The opportunistic pathogen Legionella pneumophila employs the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system and ∼300 different effector proteins to replicate in macrophages and amoebae in a distinct 'Legionella-containing vacuole' (LCV). LCVs from infected RAW 264.7 macrophages were enriched by immuno-affinity separation and density gradient centrifugation, using an antibody against the L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, uses the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system (T4SS) to form in phagocytes a distinct "Legionella-containing vacuole" (LCV), which intercepts endosomal and secretory vesicle trafficking. Proteomics revealed the presence of the small GTPase Ran and its effector RanBP1 on purified LCVs. Here we validate that Ran and RanBP1 localize to LCVs and promote intracellular growth of L.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathogenic Yersinia spp. neutralize host defense mechanisms by engaging a type III protein secretion system that translocates several Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) into the host cell. Although the modulation of the cellular responses by individual Yops has been intensively studied, little is known about the fate of the translocated Yops inside the cell.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathogenic Yersinia spp. use a panel of virulence proteins that antagonize signal transduction processes in infected cells to undermine host defense mechanisms. One of these proteins, Yersinia enterocolitica outer protein P (YopP), down-regulates the NF-kappaB and MAPK signaling pathways, which suppresses the proinflammatory host immune response.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

TLRs are important sensors of the innate immune system that serve to identify conserved microbial components to mount a protective immune response. They furthermore control the survival of the challenged cell by governing the induction of pro- and antiapoptotic signaling pathways. Pathogenic Yersinia spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF