TGF-β/IFN-γ Antagonism in Subversion and Self-Defense of Phase II Coxiella burnetii - Infected Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) belong to the first line of innate defense and come into early contact with invading pathogens, including the zoonotic bacterium Coxiella burnetii , the causative agent of Q fever. However, the pathogen-host cell interactions in C. burnetii -infected DCs, particularly the role of mechanisms of immune subversion beyond virulent phase I lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as the contribution of cellular self-defense strategies, are not understood.