Current Research on Host–Pathogen Interaction in 2024

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2372

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
Interests: understanding host and pathogen determinants as well as treatments that impact human babesiosis including parasite carriage and disease complications
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Guest Editor
1. Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2. Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Interests: zoonosis; arthropod-borne infections; leptospirosis; enteropathogens; antibiotic-resistance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a New Year Special Issue entitled “Current Research on Host–Pathogen Interaction in 2024”. In 2024, the 13th volume of our journal is due to be published. This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without our readers, innumerable authors, anonymous peer reviewers, editors, and all other members who have contributed to the journal. The Special Issue therefore aims to collect papers by our editors, authors, reviewers, and readers in Pathogens. We kindly encourage all research groups to contribute up-to-date results from the latest developments in their respective laboratories.

This Special Issue collects high-quality original research and review articles in all areas of interest covered by Pathogens.

Dr. Dana G. Mordue
Dr. Valentina Virginia Ebani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

New Year Special Issue Series

This Special Issue is a part of Pathogens’ New Year Special Issue Series. The series reflects on the achievements, scientific progress, and “hot topics” of the previous year in the journal. Submissions of articles whose lead authors are our Editorial Board Members are highly encouraged. However, we welcome articles from all authors.

Keywords

  • pathogens
  • viruses
  • bacteria
  • parasites
  • fungi
  • infection

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

9 pages, 441 KiB  
Article
Endoparasite Infections in Captive Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) in Italy
by Lisa Guardone, Alessandro Marigliano, Francesca Mancianti and Stefania Perrucci
Pathogens 2024, 13(6), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13060443 - 23 May 2024
Viewed by 388
Abstract
The inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is a lizard species commonly kept as a pet worldwide. Endoparasites are among the most important pathogens affecting bearded dragons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoparasites in captive P. vitticeps in [...] Read more.
The inland bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is a lizard species commonly kept as a pet worldwide. Endoparasites are among the most important pathogens affecting bearded dragons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoparasites in captive P. vitticeps in Italy. Faecal samples from 30 P. vitticeps were analysed by fresh faecal smears, flotation tests, the Mini-FLOTAC technique, and a rapid immunoassay to detect Cryptosporidium spp. To search for microsporidia, PCR and sequencing were performed on the faecal samples. Data were statistically analysed. The overall positivity rate for endoparasites was 83.3% (25/30). The identified endoparasites were oxyurids (17/30, 56.7%), Isosospora amphiboluri (13/30, 43.3%), Encephalitozoon pogonae (4/18, 22.22%), and Cryptosporidium sp. (1/30, 3.33%). The positivity for protozoa was significantly higher in juveniles compared to adults. Moreover, the frequency of clinical signs was significantly higher in the positive animals. The results obtained here emphasize the importance of regular veterinary examinations of captive P. vitticeps, aimed at the diagnosis, treatment, and control of endoparasites. This study is one of the largest surveys on microsporidia infections in living bearded dragons, suggesting that E. pogonae may be widespread in this lizard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Host–Pathogen Interaction in 2024)
14 pages, 2428 KiB  
Article
Neutrophils Expressing Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Play an Indispensable Role in Effective Bacterial Elimination and Resolving Inflammation in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection
by Azusa Terasaki, Faizan Ahmed, Alato Okuno, Zhenzi Peng, Duo-Yao Cao and Suguru Saito
Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050401 - 11 May 2024
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a co-inhibitory molecule expressed on the surface of various cell types and known for its suppressive effect on T cells through its interaction with PD-1. Neutrophils also express PD-L1, and its expression is elevated in specific situations; [...] Read more.
Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a co-inhibitory molecule expressed on the surface of various cell types and known for its suppressive effect on T cells through its interaction with PD-1. Neutrophils also express PD-L1, and its expression is elevated in specific situations; however, the immunobiological role of PD-L1+ neutrophils has not been fully characterized. Here, we report that PD-L1-expressing neutrophils increased in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection are highly functional in bacterial elimination and supporting inflammatory resolution. The frequency of PD-L1+ neutrophils was dramatically increased in MRSA-infected mice, and this population exhibited enhanced activity in bacterial elimination compared to PD-L1- neutrophils. The administration of PD-L1 monoclonal antibody did not impair PD-L1+ neutrophil function, suggesting that PD-L1 expression itself does not influence neutrophil activity. However, PD-1/PD-L1 blockade significantly delayed liver inflammation resolution in MRSA-infected mice, as indicated by their increased plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and frequencies of inflammatory leukocytes in the liver, implying that neutrophil PD-L1 suppresses the inflammatory response of these cells during the acute phase of MRSA infection. Our results reveal that elevated PD-L1 expression can be a marker for the enhanced anti-bacterial function of neutrophils. Moreover, PD-L1+ neutrophils are an indispensable population attenuating inflammatory leukocyte activities, assisting in a smooth transition into the resolution phase in MRSA infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Host–Pathogen Interaction in 2024)
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15 pages, 2044 KiB  
Article
Cumin Seed Oil Induces Oxidative Stress-Based Antifungal Activities on Fusarium graminearum
by Emre Yörük, Zeynep Danışman, Murat Pekmez and Tapani Yli-Mattila
Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050395 - 8 May 2024
Viewed by 596
Abstract
In this study, the antifungal activity of cumin seed oil (CSO) was tested on Fusarium graminearum. (i) Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and related concentrations (IC75, IC50, and IC25) were detected; (ii) toxicity was evaluated by a [...] Read more.
In this study, the antifungal activity of cumin seed oil (CSO) was tested on Fusarium graminearum. (i) Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and related concentrations (IC75, IC50, and IC25) were detected; (ii) toxicity was evaluated by a water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) assay; (iii) genomic/epigenomic alterations were evaluated by the coupled restriction enzyme digestion-random amplification (CRED-RA) method; (iv) oxidative stress was investigated by CAT expression, catalase activity, and DCF-DA staining; (v) deoxynivalenol biosynthesis was evaluated by tri6 expression; (vi) and potential effects of CSO on wheat were tested by a water loss rate (WLR) assay. MIC, IC75, IC50 and IC25 values were detected at 0.5, 0.375, 0.25, and 0.125 mg mL−1. In WST-1 assays, significant decreases (p < 0.001) were detected. Genomic template stability (GTS) related to methylation differences ranged from 94.60% to 96.30%. Percentage polymorphism for HapII/MspI values were as 9.1%/15.8%. CAT (oxidative stress-related catalase) and tri6 (zinc finger motif transcription factor) gene expressions were recorded between 5.29 ± 0.74 and 0.46 ± 0.10 (p < 0.05). Increased catalase activity was detected (p < 0.05) by spectrophotometric assays. DCF-DA-stained (oxidative stressed) cells were increased in response to increased concentrations, and there were no significant changes in WLR values. It was concluded that CSO showed strong antifungal activity on F. graminearum via different physiological levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Host–Pathogen Interaction in 2024)
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