Inflammasome-mediated antagonism of type I interferon enhances Rickettsia pathogenesis.

The innate immune system fights infection with inflammasomes and interferons. Facultative bacterial pathogens that inhabit the host cytosol avoid inflammasomes and are often insensitive to type I interferons (IFN-I), but are restricted by IFN-γ. However, it remains unclear how obligate cytosolic bacterial pathogens, including Rickettsia species, interact with innate immunity.