A genetic selection for mutants tolerant to killing by sodium citrate defines a combined role for cation homeostasis and osmotic stress in cell death.

Mycobacteria can colonize environments where the availability of metal ions is limited. Biological or inorganic chelators play an important role in limiting metal availability, and we developed a model to examine survival in the presence of the chelator sodium citrate. We observed that instead of restricting growth, concentrated sodium citrate killed .

A Genome-Wide Screen in Macrophages Defines Host Genes Regulating the Uptake of Mycobacterium abscessus.

The interactions between a host cell and a pathogen can dictate disease outcomes and are important targets for host-directed therapies. Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a highly antibiotic resistant, rapidly growing nontuberculous mycobacterium that infects patients with chronic lung diseases. Mab can infect host immune cells, such as macrophages, which contribute to its pathogenesis.

GarD-ing the pathogen-containing vacuole from destruction.

The human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis evades killing by IFNγ-activated mechanisms, yet how this occurs remains unclear. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Walsh et al. identify an IFNγ-dependent antimicrobial mechanism mediated by the host ubiquitin ligase RNF213 that is evaded by the Chlamydia effector GarD.

Agglutinins and cardiac surgery: a web based survey of cardiac anaesthetic practice; questions raised and possible solutions.

Introduction: Cardiac surgery involves cardiopulmonary bypass during which the core temperature is generally lowered to hypothermic levels. Patients presenting for cardiac surgery are sometimes reported to have cold or warm autoantibodies at the time of blood screening. It is known that cold agglutinins may cause potentially life-threatening haemolysis, intracoronary haemagglutination leading to inadequate cardioplegia distribution, thrombosis, embolism, ischaemia or infarction.

Cytokine phenotype, genotype, and renal outcomes at cardiac surgery.

Background: Cardiac surgery modulates pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance involving plasma tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) together with urinary transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFβ1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1ra) and tumour necrosis factor soluble receptor-2 (TNFsr2). Effects on post-operative renal function are unclear. We investigated if following cardiac surgery there is a relationship between cytokine (a) phenotype and renal outcome; (b) genotype and phenotype and (c) genotype and renal outcome.