Robert A. Heinzen

Kenneth A. Fields

Rey Carabeo

Bacterial pathogens whose development is restricted to the interior of eukaryotic cells encounter a unique set of hurdles to be overcome to enable growth. This issue is dedicated to the examination of the unique infection biology associated with this obligate intracellular existence. Distinct approaches to obligate intracellular parasitism will be covered by considering a range of molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms governing the overall success of pathogens including Chlamydia, Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Ehrlichia. The overall goal is to provide insight into both microbial and host mechanisms that enable colonization of a specialized intracellular niche.Bacterial pathogens whose development is restricted to the interior of eukaryotic cells encounter a unique set of hurdles to be overcome to enable growth. This issue is dedicated to the examination of the unique infection biology associated with this obligate intracellular existence. Distinct approaches to obligate intracellular parasitism will be covered by considering a range of molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms governing the overall success of pathogens including Chlamydia, Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Ehrlichia. The overall goal is to provide insight into both microbial and host mechanisms that enable colonization of a specialized intracellular niche.

The obligate intracellular lifestyle

Rudolf Toman

James E. Samuel

Jean-Louis Mege

Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease found worldwide. The bacterium is a fascinating example of intracellular parasitism that has uniquely evolved to thrive in the most inhospitable of cellular compartments-the phagolysosome. Understanding how C. burnetii resists the degradative functions of this vacuole, and the host cell functions coopted for successful parasitism, are central to understanding Q fever pathogenesis. Recent achievements in glycomics and proteomics are guiding development of enhanced detection schemes for the bacterium in addition to shedding light on the host immune response to the pathogen. Several chapters survey immune functions that control or potentially exacerbate Coxiella infection and delve into correlates of protective immunity elicited by vaccination. Comparative genomics is also the foundation of chapters discussing diagnostic antigen discovery and molecular typing of the bacterium, with significance for development of new clinical, epidemiologic, and forensic tools.

Robert A. Heinzen

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