Recent insights into host-pathogen interactions from Dictyostelium

Abstract

To protect themselves from predation by amoebae and protozoa in the natural environment, some bacteria evolved means of escaping killing. The same mechanisms allow survival in mammalian phagocytes, producing opportunistic human pathogens. The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a powerful system for analysis of conserved host-pathogen interactions. This report reviews recent insights gained for several bacterial pathogens using Dictyostelium as host. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.