Apoptosis inhibition by intracellular bacteria and its consequence on host immunity

[Display omitted] •Obligate and some facultative intracellular bacterial pathogens inhibit apoptosis.•Bacteria inhibit apoptosis by disrupting ROS generation or mitochondrial signaling.•Some bacterial effectors activate AKT or NF-κB pro-survival pathways.•Bacterial mutants deficient in apoptosis inhibitor genes are attenuated in vivo.•Pathogens have evolved to disrupt efferocytosis or to hijack it for their benefit. Regulated cell death via apoptosis not only is important for organismal homeostasis but also serves as an innate defense mechanism. The engulfment of apoptotic infected cells, a process known as efferocytosis, is a common pathway for the destruction of many intracellular bacteria. Some pathogens take advantage of efferocytosis to prevent activation of macrophages and thereby facilitate their dissemination. Conversely, many obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens and some facultative-intracellular bacteria inhibit apoptosis, preventing efferocytosis, and evading innate host defenses. The molecular mechanism of bacterial effectors includes secreted proteins that bind to and inhibit apoptosis cell signaling pathways. We provide an overview of the known bacterial effectors, their host cell targets and their importance for the virulence of human pathogens.