Modulation of host ubiquitination pathways by bacterial effectors

Abstract:

Ubiquitination is a common post-translational modification of proteins in eukaryotic cells, which is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes such as DNA repair, cell cycle, immunological response, and signal transduction. Meanwhile, host cells use deubiquitinases (DUBs) to reverse ubiquitin signals, ensuring the dynamic balance of the ubiquitination system and physiological functions. In the case of bacterial infection, host cells mount a defense response by ubiquitination. However, pathogenic bacteria can encode and secrete effectors to regulate the ubiquitination of the host, thereby interfering with the host cellular immune response and bolstering their survival and virulence. This review outlines the research on the effectors of pathogenic bacteria that regulate ubiquitination pathways in host cells, which is expected to enhance the understanding of bacteria’s regulation of host ubiquitination for the infection.