M. D. Welch

FAZ assembly in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei requires kinesin KIN-E

This study shows that KIN-E kinesin is essential for FAZ assembly in Trypanosoma brucei, leading to defects in flagellum attachment, cytokinesis, and DNA segregation.

A patatin-like phospholipase mediates Rickettsia parkeri escape from host membranes

This study identifies Pat1, a patatin-like phospholipase in Rickettsia parkeri, as critical for escaping host membranes and promoting cell-cell spread during infection.

A mycobacterial glycine-rich protein governs actin-based motility

The paper identifies MirA, a mycobacterial protein that activates host N-WASP to drive actin-based motility during infection.

Lysine methylation shields an intracellular pathogen from ubiquitylation

This study shows that Rickettsia parkeri uses lysine methylation to prevent ubiquitylation of outer membrane proteins, thereby evading host autophagy and enabling pathogenesis.

Baculovirus actin-rearrangement-inducing factor ARIF-1 induces the formation of dynamic clusters of invadosome-like structures

This study identifies ARIF-1 as a key factor inducing invadosome-like structures in infected cells, essential for viral spread.

Interferon receptor-deficient mice are susceptible to eschar-associated rickettsiosis.

This study shows that interferon receptor-deficient mice develop eschars and lethal disease upon Rickettsia parkeri infection, mimicking human rickettsiosis, and identifies vaccine candidates.

Inflammasome-mediated antagonism of type I interferon enhances Rickettsia pathogenesis

This study shows that Rickettsia parkeri is sensitive to type I interferon, which is counteracted by inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, revealing a trade-off in innate immunity.

A metabolic dependency for host isoprenoids in the obligate intracellular pathogen Rickettsia parkeri underlies a sensitivity for the statin class of host-targeted therapeutics

This study identifies a metabolic dependency of Rickettsia parkeri on host isoprenoids, showing that statin drugs inhibit bacterial growth by disrupting cell wall synthesis.

Trypanosomes have divergent kinesin-2 proteins that function differentially in IFT, cell division, and motility

This study investigates the functional differences between two kinesin-2 proteins in trypanosomes, showing TbKin2a's role in IFT, cell division, and motility, while TbKin2b has a less critical role.

A streamlined method for transposon mutagenesis of Rickettsia parkeri yields numerous mutations that impact infection

This study uses a transposon mutagenesis method to generate Rickettsia parkeri mutants, identifying genes involved in infection and host interactions.

Baculovirus AC102 is a nucleocapsid protein that is crucial for nuclear actin polymerization and nucleocapsid morphogensis

This paper identifies AC102 as a nucleocapsid protein essential for nuclear actin polymerization and nucleocapsid morphogenesis in AcMNPV.