VDAC1 and infection: Curiously, mitochondrial porins (VDAC), which have been hypothesized to be hijacked by Rickettsia to be used as transport systems (Emelyanov and Vyssokikh, 2006; Emelyanov, 2009), were found in higher abundance in R. conorii-infected cells, urging for further studies to explore putative porin incorporation in rickettsial cells during infection.