title: Hijacking the ERK signaling pathway: Mycobacterium leprae shuns MEK to drive the proliferation of infected Schwann cells.
abstract: Schwann cells are the target of Mycobacterium leprae, the pathogen responsible for leprosy. Once inside the cell, M. leprae activates the host's proliferative machinery, thereby increasing the number of cells susceptible to infection. This astonishing manipulation of the mammalian cell cycle is the subject of recent work by Tapinos and Rambukkana, who show that M. leprae drives proliferation through a novel route to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In this Perspective, we discuss this important piece of work and highlight the noncanonical pathway used by M. leprae to induce proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Luke A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Noon
authors.forename: Alison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lloyd
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000502:physiology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000502:physiology; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; D007797:Laminin; D019938:Cyclin D1; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D051744:Protein Kinase C-epsilon; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases