Mitochondria: a target for intracellular bacterial pathogens

该项目旨在了解细胞内细菌病原体如何靶向线粒体。贝氏柯克斯体（Coxiella burnetii）是人类和重要商业动物的独特且重要的病原体，其使用效应蛋白来控制宿主细胞功能。这些效应物的一个队列靶向线粒体。由于线粒体是细胞健康的关键参与者，这项研究的预期结果是了解线粒体靶向效应蛋白的作用。该项目将确定线粒体蛋白运输对Coxiella发病机制的重要性以及线粒体功能在感染期间如何改变。这将有助于理解细菌病原体如何操纵线粒体等细胞器以维持生存。

This project aims to understand how intracellular bacterial pathogens target mitochondria. Coxiella burnetii is a unique and significant pathogen of humans and commercially important animals that uses effector proteins to control host cell functions. A cohort of these effectors target mitochondria. Since mitochondria are key players in cell health, the intended outcome of this research is to understand the role of the mitochondrially-targeted effector proteins. The project will determine the importance of mitochondrial protein trafficking for Coxiella pathogenesis and how mitochondrial function is altered during infection. This will provide understanding of how bacterial pathogens manipulate organelles like mitochondria for their survival.