title: Anchors away: contribution of a glycolipid anchor to bacterial invasion of host cells.
abstract: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an important cause of infections, including meningitis. The molecular events underlying its pathogenesis are poorly understood. A study in this issue of the JCI reports that the GBS invasion-associated gene (iagA) contributes to meningeal infection and virulence by facilitating invasion of the cells that compose the blood-brain barrier and of other host cells. The mechanism involved most likely relates to the gene product's role in synthesis of a glycolipid anchor for a bacterial cell-surface entity that interacts directly with host cells.
authors.affiliation: The Channing Laboratory and the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Miriam J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Dennis L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kasper
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006017:Glycolipids; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006017:Glycolipids; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols