Genes of the exceptionally polymorphic Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region play a critical role in pathogen defence and the cross-talk with host commensals. Yet, it remains unclear how the gut microbiota response to infection and to what extent this response is influenced by host immunogenetics. Here, we aimed to disentangle their interplay in roughly 600 African hipposiderid bats,...
All known conventional influenza A viruses (IAVs) circulating in birds, pigs and humans infect cells by binding to sialic acid receptors on host membrane glycoproteins. Natural infections usually affect the intestinal or respiratory epithelia and only exceptionally other cell types. In contrast, the bat-derived IAV H18N11 utilizes major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules...
Human Campylobacter jejuni infections are rising globally. Since antibiotics are usually not indicated in campylobacteriosis, antibiotic-independent intervention measures are desirable. The phenolic compound carvacrol constitutes a promising candidate molecule given its antimicrobial and immune-modulatory features. To test the disease-alleviating effects of carvacrol treatment in acute...
Autophagy disruption can lead to autophagosome (AP) accumulation and SEC22B-mediated secretion of cytokine-carrying APs facilitating inflammation. SARS-CoV-2, which likely originated in Rhinolophus bats, blocks early innate immune activation and AP-lysosome fusion in human cells. Here, we explored whether reservoir and human host cells have differential immune and autophagy responses to...
Infections with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with devastating consequences especially for high-risk patients. We could show that SARS-CoV-2 transiently activates the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in the very early phase of the infection. Specific inhibition of the MEK1/2 kinases with the inhibitor ATR-002, now designated...
Mosquito-specific viruses (MSVs) exclusively replicate within mosquitoes and can disrupt arbovirus infections by persistently infecting mosquitoes throughout their lifespan or multiple generations. MSVs exhibit a widespread presence in mosquito populations, including Germany, yet their impact on Culex-borne arboviruses currently circulating in Europe remains largely unexplored.
First, we...
