title: Cortactin: an Achilles' heel of the actin cytoskeleton targeted by pathogens.
abstract: Cortactin is an actin-binding protein and a central regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. Importantly, cortactin is also a common target exploited by microbes during infection. Its involvement in disease development is exemplified by a variety of pathogenic processes, such as pedestal formation [enteropathogenic and enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC and EHEC)], invasion (Shigella, Neisseria, Rickettsia, Chlamydia, Staphylococcus and Cryptosporidium), actin-based motility (Listeria, Shigella and vaccinia virus) and cell scattering (Helicobacter). Recent progress turns our attention to how cortactin function can be regulated by serine and tyrosine phosphorylation. This has an important impact on how pathogens abuse cortactin to modulate the architecture of the host actin cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Denmark, Center for Experimental BioInformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark. steffen.backert@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selbach
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Backert
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D051356:Cortactin; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C495868:CTTN protein, human; D051356:Cortactin; D008840:Microfilament Proteins