Epigenetic control of gene function in schistosomes: a source of therapeutic targets?

The discovery of the epigenetic regulation of gene expression has revolutionized both our understanding of how genomes function and approaches to the therapy of numerous pathologies. Schistosomes are metazoan parasites and as such utilize most, if not all the epigenetic mechanisms in play in their vertebrate hosts: histone variants, histone tail modifications, non-coding RNA and, perhaps, DNA methylation. Moreover, we are acquiring an increasing understanding of the ways in which these mechanisms come into play during the complex schistosome developmental program.

Yersinia pestis requires the 2-component regulatory system OmpR-EnvZ to resist innate immunity during the early and late stages of plague.

Plague is transmitted by fleas or contaminated aerosols. To successfully produce disease, the causal agent (Yersinia pestis) must rapidly sense and respond to rapid variations in its environment. Here, we investigated the role of 2-component regulatory systems (2CSs) in plague because the latter are known to be key players in bacterial adaptation to environmental change.

Activation of Type 3 innate lymphoid cells and interleukin 22 secretion in the lungs during Streptococcus pneumoniae infection.

Mucosal sites are continuously exposed to pathogenic microorganisms and are therefore equipped to control respiratory infections. Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) are key players in antimicrobial defense in intestinal mucosa, through interleukin 17 and interleukin 22 (IL-22) production. The present study aimed at analyzing the distribution and function of ILC3 in the respiratory tract.