Interactions between Neisseria meningitidis and human cells that promote colonisation and disease.
Neisseria meningitidis is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal condition that particularly affects children. Multiple steps are involved during the pathogenesis of infection, including the colonisation of healthy individuals and invasion of the bacterium into the cerebrospinal fluid. The bacterium is capable of adhering to, and entering into, a range of human cell types, which facilitates its ability to cause disease. This article summarises the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions at the cellular level during meningococcal carriage and disease.
Corbett
Anne
A
The Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Department of Infectious Diseases, Flowers Building, Armstrong Road, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK. a.corbett@imperial.ac.uk
Exley
Rachel
R
Bourdoulous
Sandrine
S
Tang
Christoph M
CM
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000502:physiology
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; C074517:opc protein, bacteria; C090348:Opa protein, Neisseria