Dear Colleagues,

Bacterial infections are associated with some of the largest burdens to human health across the globe. Pathogenic bacteria have developed sophisticated mechanisms to secrete virulence proteins directly into animal and plant cells. Once inside their host, these effectors perform various functions that include the regulation of endosomal/apoptotic pathways, modulation of cytoskeleton structure, and evasion of host-immune responses. In order to carry out these diverse functions, many bacterial effectors have evolved to imitate endogenous host proteins, in both their subcellular targeting and specific activities. Whilst analysis of primary amino acid sequences and tertiary structures can sometimes elude to function, this is often not the case. This is because these bacterial proteins frequently mimic smaller subregions of host regulatory factors or use completely different structural elements to induce similar changes in host proteins. This Special Issue of Microorganisms will be dedicated to understanding the diversity in bacterial effector structures and functions during infection. This will include the following themes: structures of novel effectors; common structural motifs of effectors; specific functions of effectors in ecology and disease; challenges and tools in identifying effector functions and subcellular localization; role of moonlighting effector proteins during infection; and the practical applications of bacterial effector research in treating disease.

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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• Effector
• Bacteria
• Structure
• Virulence factor
• Pathogen
• Moonlighting protein
• Therapeutics