Feast or famine: the host-pathogen battle over amino acids

Cell Microbiol. 2013 Jul;15(7):1079-87. doi: 10.1111/cmi.12140. Epub 2013 Apr 5.

Abstract

Intracellular bacterial pathogens often rely on their hosts for essential nutrients. Host cells, in turn, attempt to limit nutrient availability, using starvation as a mechanism of innate immunity. Here we discuss both host mechanisms of amino acid starvation and the diverse adaptations of pathogens to their nutrient-deprived environments. These processes provide both key insights into immune subversion and new targets for drug development.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Bacteria / pathogenicity*
  • Cell Physiological Phenomena*
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism*
  • Cytoplasm / microbiology*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Amino Acids