title: Breaking into the epithelial apical-junctional complex--news from pathogen hackers.
abstract: The epithelial apical-junctional complex is a key regulator of cellular functions. In addition, it is an important target for microbial pathogens that manipulate the cell to survive, proliferate and sometimes persist within a host. Out of a myriad of potential molecular targets, some bacterial and viral pathogens have selected a subset of protein targets at the apical-junctional complex of epithelial cells. Studying how microbes use these targets also teaches us about the inherent physiological properties of host molecules in the context of normal junctional structure and function. Thus, we have learned that three recently uncovered components of the apical-junctional complex of the Ig superfamily--junctional adhesion molecule, Nectin and the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor--are important regulators of junction structure and function and represent critical targets of microbial virulence gene products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Beckman Center B121, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5435, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vogelmann
authors.forename: Manuel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amieva
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Falkow
authors.forename: W James
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018390:Gene Targeting; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000382:microbiology*; D011991:Receptors, Virus / Q000378:metabolism; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014780:Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D062727:Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011991:Receptors, Virus; D054334:Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins