title: Pathogens: raft hijackers.
abstract: Throughout evolution, organisms have developed immune-surveillance networks to protect themselves from potential pathogens. At the cellular level, the signalling events that regulate these defensive responses take place in membrane rafts--dynamic microdomains that are enriched in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids--that facilitate many protein-protein and lipid-protein interactions at the cell surface. Pathogens have evolved many strategies to ensure their own survival and to evade the host immune system, in some cases by hijacking rafts. However, understanding the means by which pathogens exploit rafts might lead to new therapeutic strategies to prevent or alleviate certain infectious diseases, such as those caused by HIV-1 or Ebola virus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Oncology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología/Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid E-28049, Spain.
authors.forename: Santos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mañes
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: del Real
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-A
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000276:immunology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007157:Immunologic Surveillance; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D014780:Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins