Cell biology. Bacterial spelunkers.
Bacteria that are engulfed by phagocytic cells of the immune system are usually destroyed once inside the host cell but not always. Why is it that sometimes engulfed bacteria survive and thrive quite happily inside the host cell? As Mulvey and Hultgren explain in their Perspective, the answer may lie in small indentations in the host cell plasma membrane called caveolae that direct certain signal transduction pathways inside the host cell (Shin et al.). If bacteria adhere to regions of the host cell surface that is rich in caveolae, they are better able to survive once inside the cell.
Mulvey
M A
MA
Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA. mulvey@borcim.wustl.edu
Hultgren
S J
SJ
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D000071178:CD48 Antigen; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004705:Endocytosis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000071178:CD48 Antigen; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C058769:fimH protein, E coli; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins