Interaction of pathogenic Bordetella species with host cells

Most of the members of the Gram-negative genus Bordetella cause severe infections of the respiratory tract in their hosts. B. pertussis and specific lineages of B. parapertussis infect humans and cause the disease known as whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory disease that is currently on the rise even in highly vaccinated populations. Therefore, a more detailed understanding of the B. pertussis interactions with the host is crucial. B. pertussis produces a great variety of virulence factors, majority of which is regulated by the two- component BvgAS system. These factors assist the pathogen in the colonization of the host and evasion of the host immune system. The studies on host-pathogen interactions use both in vitro and in vivo infection models, which complement each other appropriately. Recently, it was demonstrated that B. pertussis escape killing and persists in macrophages, suggesting that B. pertussis can be considered as a facultative intracellular pathogen. This ability may allow the pathogen cells to persist within the host and potentially spread to the new host. The aim of this bachelor thesis was to summarize the knowledge on the host-pathogen interactions between B. pertussis and its host with focus on in vitro and in vivo infection models. The attention is paid especially..