Host Pathway Identification
Host Pathway Identification - Related Videos
07:40
Identification of Host Pathways Targeted by Bacterial Effector Proteins using Yeast Toxicity and Suppressor Screens
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Cited by 5 •
2019
Bacterial pathogens secrete proteins into the host that target crucial biological processes. Identifying the host pathways targeted by bacterial effector proteins is key to addressing molecular pathogenesis. Here, a method using a modified yeast suppressor and toxicity screen to elucidate host pathways targeted by toxic bacterial effector proteins is described.
10:27
In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions
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Cited by 1 •
2022
The protocol submitted here explains the complete in silico pipeline needed to predict and functionally characterize circRNAs from RNA-sequencing transcriptome data studying host-pathogen interactions.
04:15
Extracting Host Cell Lysate from Infected Host Cells Cultured in a Permeable Membrane System
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2025
This video demonstrates a permeable membrane insert system to investigate the impact of bacterial toxins on host cells in a controlled and isolated manner. This approach allows for the selective exposure of the cells to the toxins while maintaining a physical separation that mimics the natural host-pathogen interaction.
05:01
A Pathway Association Study Tool for GWAS Analyses of Metabolic Pathway Information
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Cited by 1 •
2020
By running the Pathway Association Study Tool (PAST), either through the Shiny application or through the R console, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the biological meaning of their genome-wide association study (GWAS) results by investigating the metabolic pathways involved.
06:02
Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
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Cited by 8 •
2018
Here, we present the protocols to identify 1) virus-encoded immunomodulators that promote arbovirus replication and 2) eukaryotic host factors that restrict arbovirus replication. These fluorescence- and luminescence-based methods allow researchers to rapidly obtain quantitative readouts of arbovirus replication in simplistic assays with low signal-to-noise ratios.
FAQs
The critical readout is a defined change in the host response after a gene is perturbed. Interpreting that change in relation to infection, disease, or another biological condition helps connect a gene to a functional outcome rather than treating it as an isolated association. The approach can therefore reveal whether a host factor affects pathogen entry, replication, or clearance.
Pathway-enrichment analysis adds biological structure to a list of genes identified in a screen. Instead of evaluating each hit separately, researchers connect groups of genes with shared processes, including signal transduction, membrane trafficking, and innate immune defense. This organization helps translate screen results into pathway-level hypotheses about how host responses are regulated during infection or disease.
Researchers distinguish these possibilities by relating a perturbed gene or pathway to the observed biological outcome. Associations with pathogen entry or replication can identify host processes that support disease, whereas effects linked to pathogen clearance can indicate protective activity. This comparison helps organize host factors according to whether they may worsen infection or contribute to defense.
Signal transduction, membrane trafficking, and innate immune defense provide pathway-level contexts for interpreting individual genetic hits. Enrichment of one category suggests that multiple affected genes may participate in a shared cellular process, rather than acting as unrelated factors. These groupings help researchers formulate broader explanations for how host cells respond to infection or disease.
Researchers first define the biological condition and the phenotype to measure. They then perturb host genes using a CRISPR screen or RNA interference, assess changes in that phenotype, and examine the resulting genes with pathway-enrichment analysis. The final interpretation connects individual hits to processes such as signal transduction, membrane trafficking, or innate immune defense.
Results can identify host factors required for pathogen entry, replication, or clearance, linking genetic perturbations to distinct stages of the host-pathogen interaction. They can also reveal whether a pathway is associated with a protective response or with processes that promote disease. These outcomes help prioritize genes and pathways for follow-up studies of host biology.
Findings can support gene-function studies by connecting perturbations with defined phenotypes and enriched pathways. They may also help identify biomarkers associated with a host response and inform host-directed therapeutic strategies, which target host biology rather than focusing only on the pathogen. These uses extend screen results from discovery toward interpretation and therapeutic research.
Within genetics, perturbing host genes provides a way to test how changes in specific loci influence a measurable response. Combining those gene-level results with pathway enrichment allows researchers to move from isolated hits to coordinated cellular processes. This connection supports functional interpretation of genes involved in infection, disease, and innate immune defense.