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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Contemporary Perspectives on Bacterial Virulence Factors
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Contemporary Perspectives on Bacterial Virulence Factors

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2025 | Viewed by 7413

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Matthew Jackson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
Interests: bacterial virulence
Dr. Kevin Theis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
Interests: pathogen; host–microbe interactions; medical microbiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bacterial pathogens are classified using a variety of criteria, with one of them being their capacity to produce virulence factors (VFs) that enable them to cause damage to a mammalian host. VFs are classified according to their capacity to colonize specific body sites, resist phagocytic killing, induce an aberrant immune response, or incapacitate eukaryotic cells through cytolytic and enzymatic mechanisms. Just as original microbe hunters characterized the causative agents of infectious diseases using Koch’s postulates as guideposts, modern microbiologists have endeavored to define the criteria used to characterize a bacterial VF. Sequence homologies and in vitro methodologies to characterize the factor’s mechanism of action are currently used to identify new VFs. We suggest that VF characterization has become subject to reasoning errors and encourage considering the ecological view of their origins to overcome anthropocentric bias. In this Special Issue, we will initiate a conversation by first challenging VF characterization using examples of two well-studied bacterial pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Subsequent articles will provide arguments supporting state-of-the-art processes for VF designation and characterization.

Dr. Matthew Jackson
Dr. Kevin Theis
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. Microorganisms 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.

Keywords

  • bacterial pathogens
  • virulence factors
  • immune response
  • staphylococcus aureus
  • pseudomonas aeruginosa

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 7062 KiB  
Article
Gram Negative Biofilms: Structural and Functional Responses to Destruction by Antibiotic-Loaded Mixed Polymeric Micelles
by Tsvetozara Damyanova, Rumena Stancheva, Milena N. Leseva, Petya A. Dimitrova, Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva, Dayana Borisova, Katya Kamenova, Petar D. Petrov, Ralitsa Veleva, Ivelina Zhivkova, Tanya Topouzova-Hristova, Emi Haladjova and Stoyanka Stoitsova
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2670; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122670 - 23 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1054
Abstract
Biofilms are a well-known multifactorial virulence factor with a pivotal role in chronic bacterial infections. Their pathogenicity is determined by the combination of strain-specific mechanisms of virulence and the biofilm extracellular matrix (ECM) protecting the bacteria from the host immune defense and the [...] Read more.
Biofilms are a well-known multifactorial virulence factor with a pivotal role in chronic bacterial infections. Their pathogenicity is determined by the combination of strain-specific mechanisms of virulence and the biofilm extracellular matrix (ECM) protecting the bacteria from the host immune defense and the action of antibacterials. The successful antibiofilm agents should combine antibacterial activity and good biocompatibility with the capacity to penetrate through the ECM. The objective of the study is the elaboration of biofilm-ECM-destructive drug delivery systems: mixed polymeric micelles (MPMs) based on a cationic poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)-b-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA35-b-PCL70-b-PDMAEMA35) and a non-ionic poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO100-b-PPO65-b-PEO100) triblock copolymers, loaded with ciprofloxacin or azithromycin. The MPMs were applied on 24 h pre-formed biofilms of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (laboratory strains and clinical isolates). The results showed that the MPMs were able to destruct the biofilms, and the viability experiments supported drug delivery. The biofilm response to the MPMs loaded with the two antibiotics revealed two distinct patterns of action. These were registered on the level of both bacterial cell-structural alterations (demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy) and the interaction with host tissues (ex vivo biofilm infection model on skin samples with tests on nitric oxide and interleukin (IL)-17A production). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Perspectives on Bacterial Virulence Factors)
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Review

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18 pages, 1431 KiB  
Review
Immunosenescence: How Aging Increases Susceptibility to Bacterial Infections and Virulence Factors
by Nikolaos Theodorakis, Georgios Feretzakis, Christos Hitas, Magdalini Kreouzi, Sofia Kalantzi, Aikaterini Spyridaki, Zoi Kollia, Vassilios S. Verykios and Maria Nikolaou
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 2052; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102052 - 11 Oct 2024
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2443
Abstract
The process of aging leads to a progressive decline in the immune system function, known as immunosenescence, which compromises both innate and adaptive responses. This includes impairments in phagocytosis and decreased production, activation, and function of T- and B-lymphocytes, among other effects. Bacteria [...] Read more.
The process of aging leads to a progressive decline in the immune system function, known as immunosenescence, which compromises both innate and adaptive responses. This includes impairments in phagocytosis and decreased production, activation, and function of T- and B-lymphocytes, among other effects. Bacteria exploit immunosenescence by using various virulence factors to evade the host’s defenses, leading to severe and often life-threatening infections. This manuscript explores the complex relationship between immunosenescence and bacterial virulence, focusing on the underlying mechanisms that increase vulnerability to bacterial infections in the elderly. Additionally, it discusses how machine learning methods can provide accurate modeling of interactions between the weakened immune system and bacterial virulence mechanisms, guiding the development of personalized interventions. The development of vaccines, novel antibiotics, and antivirulence therapies for multidrug-resistant bacteria, as well as the investigation of potential immune-boosting therapies, are promising strategies in this field. Future research should focus on how machine learning approaches can be integrated with immunological, microbiological, and clinical data to develop personalized interventions that improve outcomes for bacterial infections in the growing elderly population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Perspectives on Bacterial Virulence Factors)
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16 pages, 320 KiB  
Review
The Epistemology of Bacterial Virulence Factor Characterization
by Matthew Jackson, Susan Vineberg and Kevin R. Theis
Microorganisms 2024, 12(7), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12071272 - 22 Jun 2024
Viewed by 3175
Abstract
The field of microbial pathogenesis seeks to identify the agents and mechanisms responsible for disease causation. Since Robert Koch introduced postulates that were used to guide the characterization of microbial pathogens, technological advances have substantially increased the capacity to rapidly identify a causative [...] Read more.
The field of microbial pathogenesis seeks to identify the agents and mechanisms responsible for disease causation. Since Robert Koch introduced postulates that were used to guide the characterization of microbial pathogens, technological advances have substantially increased the capacity to rapidly identify a causative infectious agent. Research efforts currently focus on causation at the molecular level with a search for virulence factors (VFs) that contribute to different stages of the infectious process. We note that the quest to identify and characterize VFs sometimes lacks scientific rigor, and this suggests a need to examine the epistemology of VF characterization. We took this premise as an opportunity to explore the epistemology of VF characterization. In this perspective, we discuss how the characterization of various gene products that evolved to facilitate bacterial survival in the broader environment have potentially been prematurely mischaracterized as VFs that contribute to pathogenesis in the context of human biology. Examples of the reasoning that can affect misinterpretation, or at least a premature assignment of mechanistic causation, are provided. Our aim is to refine the categorization of VFs by emphasizing a broader biological view of their origin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Perspectives on Bacterial Virulence Factors)
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