Investigating interference with apoptosis induction by bacterial proteins.

The modulation of host cell apoptosis by bacterial pathogens is critical for their intracellular survival. Several intracellular bacteria achieve this by secreting proteins that interact with apoptosis pathways to inhibit host cell apoptosis. Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, is such bacterium. The protein Ats-1, translocated from A. phagocytophilum by the bacterial type IV secretion system, localizes to host cell mitochondria, and interferes with apoptosis induction. In this chapter, we present a protocol applied to investigate an anti-apoptotic effect of Ats-1.