Bacterial Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases in Host-Pathogen Interactions [Signal Transduction]
February 19th, 2014 by Canova, M. J., Molle, V.
In bacterial pathogenesis, monitoring and adapting to the dynamically changing environment in the host, and an ability to disrupt host immune responses are critical. The virulence determinants of pathogenic bacteria include the sensor/signaling proteins of the serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) family that have a dual role of sensing the environment and subverting specific host defense processes. STPKs can sense a wide range of signals and coordinate multiple cellular processes to mount an appropriate response. Here we review some of the well-studied bacterial STPKs that are essential virulence factors and modify global host responses during infection.