Infection of endothelial progenitor cells with Bartonella henselae

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Bartonella spp. causes cat-scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis and trench fever. The facultative intracellular pathogen replicates within host cells efficiently. The bone marrow and the endothelial cells are discussed to represent the primary niche in the course of infection of Bartonella spp. We have shown that Bartonella spp. infect hematopoietic progenitor cells. It will be analyzed (i) whether Bartonella spp. persist and replicate within differentiating progenitor cells, (ii) whether and how intracellular Bartonella spp. modulate differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells and (iii) which bacterial genes are necessary for these processes. The results of our investigations should elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of Bartonella infections and should increase our understanding how intracellular bacteria in general modulate host cell functions to ensure their own habitat.