Generally, macrophages initiate the innate immune response by recognizing pathogens, phagocytosing them and secreting inflammatory mediators. However, intracellular bacterial pathogens have developed plenty of strategies to influence processes in eucaryotic host cells to establish appropriate conditions for their own growth and proliferation.
Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent intracellular pathogen responsible for tularemia. This bacterium is capable of infecting many mamalian species and various types of cells, but little is known about the mechanisms of survival and interactions with host cells....

Keywords: Francisella tularensis; tularemia