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Interferon lambda (IFN-λ, type III IFN, IL-28/29) is a family of antiviral cytokines that are especially important at barrier sites, including the maternal-fetal interface. Recent discoveries have identified important roles for IFN-λ during pregnancy, particularly in the context of congenital infections. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the activity of IFN-λ at the maternal-fetal interface, highlighting cell types that produce and respond to IFN-λ in the placenta, decidua, and endometrium. Further, we discuss the role of IFN-λ during infections with congenital pathogens including Zika virus, human cytomegalovirus, rubella virus, and Listeria monocytogenes . We discuss advances in experimental models that can be used to fill important knowledge gaps about IFN-λ-mediated immunity.

Little is known about oxygen utilization during infection by bacterial respiratory pathogens. The classical Bordetella species, including B. pertussis, the causal agent of human whooping cough, and B. bronchiseptica, which infects nearly all mammals, are obligate aerobes that use only oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor for electron transport-coupled oxidative phosphorylation. B. bronchiseptica, which occupies many niches, has eight distinct cytochrome oxidase-encoding loci, while B. pertussis, which evolved from a B. bronchiseptica-like ancestor but now survives exclusively in and between human respiratory tracts, has only three functional cytochrome oxidase-encoding loci: cydAB1, ctaCDFGE1, and cyoABCD1. To test the hypothesis that the three cytochrome oxidases encoded within the B. pertussis genome represent the minimum number and class of cytochrome oxidase required for respiratory infection, we compared B. bronchiseptica strains lacking one or more of the eight possible cytochrome oxidases in vitro and in vivo. No individual cytochrome oxidase was required for growth in ambient air, and all three of the cytochrome oxidases conserved in B. pertussis were sufficient for growth in ambient air and low oxygen. Using a high-dose, large-volume persistence model and a low-dose, small-volume establishment of infection model, we found that B. bronchiseptica producing only the three B. pertussis-conserved cytochrome oxidases was indistinguishable from the wild-type strain for infection. We also determined that CyoABCD1 is sufficient to cause the same level of bacterial burden in mice as the wild-type strain and is thus the primary cytochrome oxidase required for murine infection, and that CydAB1 and CtaCDFGE1 fulfill auxiliary roles or are important for aspects of infection we have not assessed, such as transmission. Our results shed light on the environment at the surface of the ciliated epithelium, respiration requirements for bacteria that colonize the respiratory tract, and the evolution of virulence in bacterial pathogens., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 McKay et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Filamentous hemagglutinin (FhaB) is a critical virulence factor for both Bordetella pertussis, the causal agent of whooping cough, and the closely related species Bordetella bronchiseptica. FhaB is an adhesin, suppresses inflammatory cytokine production, and protects against phagocytic cell clearance during infection. Regulated degradation of the FhaB C-terminal prodomain is required to establish a persistent infection in mice. Two proteases, CtpA in the periplasm and SphB1 on the bacterial surface, are known to mediate FhaB processing, and we recently determined that CtpA functions before, and controls the FhaB cleavage site of, SphB1. However, the data indicate that another periplasmic protease must initiate degradation of the prodomain by removing a portion of the FhaB C terminus that inhibits CtpA-mediated degradation. Using a candidate approach, we identified DegP as the initiating protease. Deletion of degP or substitution of its predicted catalytic residue resulted in reduced creation of FHA' (the main product of FhaB processing) and an accumulation of full-length FhaB in whole-cell lysates. Also, FHA' was no longer released into culture supernatants in degP mutants. Alterations of the FhaB C terminus that relieve inhibition of CtpA abrogate the need for DegP, consistent with DegP functioning prior to CtpA in the processing pathway. DegP is not required for secretion of FhaB through FhaC or for adherence of the bacteria to host cells, indicating that DegP acts primarily as a protease and not a chaperone for FhaB in B. bronchiseptica. Our results highlight a role for HtrA family proteases in activation of virulence factors in pathogenic bacteria. IMPORTANCE Two-partner secretion (TPS) systems are broadly distributed among Gram-negative bacteria and play important roles in bacterial pathogenesis. FhaB-FhaC is the prototypical member of the TPS family and we here identified the protease that initiates a processing cascade that controls FhaB function. Our results are significant because they provide insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the ability of Bordetella species to prevent clearance by phagocytic cells, which is critical for bacterial persistence in the lower respiratory tract. Our findings also highlight an underappreciated role for HtrA family proteases in processing specific bacterial virulence factors.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases and a total of 1700 different genetic mutations can cause this condition. Patients that suffer this disease have a thickening of the mucus, creating an environment that promotes bacterial infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous bacterium, which is frequently found in the lungs of CF patients. P. aeruginosa is known for its high level of antibiotic resistance as well as its high rate of mutation that allows it to rapidly evolve and adapt to a multitude of conditions. When a CF lung is infected with P. aeruginosa , the decay of the patient is accelerated, but there is little that can be done apart from controlling the infection with antibiotics. Novel strategies to control P. aeruginosa infection are imperative, and nanotechnology provides novel approaches to drug delivery that are more efficient than classic antibiotic treatments. These drug delivery systems are offering new prospects, especially for these patients with special mucus conditions and bacterial characteristics that limit antibiotic use.

The intestinal epithelium has constant turnover throughout the life of the organ, with apoptosis of cells at the tips of folds or villi releasing cells into the lumen. Due to constant turnover, epithelial cells need to be constantly replaced. Epithelial cells are supplied by stem cell niches that form at the base of the interfold space (zebrafish) and crypts (birds and mammals). Within the adult stem cell niche of mammals, secretory cells such as Paneth and goblet cells play a role in modulation of proliferation and stem cell activity, producing asymmetric divisions. Progeny of asymmetric divisions move up the fold or villi, giving rise to all of the epithelial cell types. Although much is known about function and organization of the adult intestinal stem cell niche, less is understood about regulation within the immature stem cell compartment. Following smooth muscle formation, the intestinal epithelium folds and proliferation becomes restricted to the interfold base. Symmetric divisions continue in the developing interfold niche until stem cell progeny begin asymmetric divisions, producing progeny that migrate up the developing folds. Proliferative progeny from the developing stem cell niche begin migrating out of the niche during the third week post-embryogenesis (zebrafish) or during the postnatal period (mammals). Regulation and organization of epithelial proliferation in the immature stem cell niche may be regulated by signals comparable to the adult niche. Here we identify a novel subset of secretory cells associated with the developing stem cell niche that receive Notch signaling (referred to as NRSCs). Inhibition of the embryonic NRSCs between 74 hpf to 120 hpf increases epithelial proliferation as well as EGF and IGF signaling. Inhibition of post-embryonic NRSCs (6 hpf to 12 dpf) also increases epithelial proliferation and expression level of Wnt target genes. We conclude that NRSCs play a role in modulation of epithelial proliferation through repression of signaling pathways that drive proliferation during both embryogenesis and the post embryonic period., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Communicable respiratory infections are the cause of a significant number of infectious diseases. The introduction of vaccinations has greatly improved this situation. Moreover, adjuvants have allowed for vaccines to be more effective with fewer adverse side effects. However, there is still space for improvement because while the more common injected formulations induce a systematic immunity, they do not confer the mucosal immunity needed for more thorough prevention of the spread of respiratory disease. Intranasal formulations provide systemic and mucosal immune protection, but they have the potential for more serious side effects and a less robust immune response. This review looks at seven different adjuvants-chitosan, starch, alginate, gellan, β-glucan, emulsan and hyaluronic acid-and their prospective ability to improve intranasal vaccines as adjuvants and antigen delivery systems.