A role for SIRT2-dependent histone H3K18 deacetylation in bacterial infection

Bacterial Subversion Tactics Intracellular bacterial pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes can change host cell transcription programs to promote infection. Eskandarian et al. ( 1238858 ) found that during infection, the Listeria effector protein InlB promoted the movement of a host protein deacetylase, SIRT2, from its normal location in the cytosol to the nucleus. In the nucleus, SIRT2 helped to repress a number of host cell genes by deacetylating one of their associated histones. In mice, reduced levels of SIRT2 impaired bacterial infection.