Department of Molecular Pathology and Biology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czechia.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022 Aug 23;12:999737. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.999737. eCollection 2022.
HU protein is a member of nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) and is an important regulator of bacterial virulence, pathogenesis and survival. NAPs are mainly DNA structuring proteins that influence several molecular processes by binding the DNA. HU´s indispensable role in DNA-related processes in bacteria was described. HU protein is a necessary bacterial transcription factor and is considered to be a virulence determinant as well. Less is known about its direct role in host-pathogen interactions. The latest studies suggest that HU protein may be secreted outside bacteria and be a part of the extracellular matrix. Moreover, HU protein can be internalized in a host cell after bacterial infection. Its role in the host cell is not well described and further studies are extremely needed. Existing results suggest the involvement of HU protein in host cell immune response modulation in bacterial favor, which can help pathogens resist host defense mechanisms. A better understanding of the HU protein's role in the host cell will help to effective treatment development.
HU 蛋白是类核相关蛋白 (NAPs) 的成员，是细菌毒力、发病机制和存活的重要调节剂。NAPs 主要是 DNA 结构蛋白，通过与 DNA 结合影响几种分子过程。描述了 HU 在细菌中与 DNA 相关过程中的不可或缺的作用。HU 蛋白是一种必需的细菌转录因子，也被认为是一种毒力决定因素。关于其在宿主-病原体相互作用中的直接作用知之甚少。最新研究表明，HU 蛋白可能在细菌外被分泌，并成为细胞外基质的一部分。此外，HU 蛋白可以在细菌感染后被宿主细胞内化。其在宿主细胞中的作用尚未得到很好的描述，非常需要进一步的研究。现有结果表明，HU 蛋白参与了有利于细菌的宿主细胞免疫反应调节，这有助于病原体抵抗宿主防御机制。更好地了解 HU 蛋白在宿主细胞中的作用将有助于开发有效的治疗方法。
