Unlabelled: Mice harboring a mutation in the gene encoding gastric intrinsic factor (Gif), a protein essential for the absorption of vitamin B12/cobalamin (Cbl), have potential as a model to explore the role of vitamins in infection. The levels of Cbl in the blood of Gif(tm1a/tm1a) mutant mice were influenced by the maternal genotype, with offspring born to heterozygous (high Cbl, F1) mothers exhibiting a significantly higher serum Cbl level than those born to homozygous (low Cbl, F2) equivalents. Low Cbl levels correlated with susceptibility to an infectious challenge with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium or Citrobacter rodentium, and this susceptibility phenotype was moderated by Cbl administration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Clostridium difficile is a leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, a significant animal pathogen, and a worldwide public health burden. Most disease-causing strains secrete two exotoxins, TcdA and TcdB, which are considered to be the primary virulence factors. Understanding the role that these toxins play in disease is essential for the rational design of urgently needed new therapeutics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe transcription factor RUNX3 functions as a tumor suppressor in the gastrointestinal epithelium, where its loss is an early event in carcinogenesis. While RUNX3 acts concurrently as a mediator of TGF-β signaling and an antagonist of Wnt, the cellular changes that follow its loss and their contribution to tumorigenicity are not fully understood. Here, we report that the loss of Runx3 in gastric epithelial cells results in spontaneous epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
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