Microtubule-severing activity of Shigella is pivotal for intercellular spreading.
Some pathogenic bacteria actually invade the cytoplasm of their target host cells. Invasive bacteria acquire the propulsive force to move by recruiting actin and inducing its polymerization. Here we show that Shigella movement within the cytoplasm was severely hindered by microtubules and that the bacteria destroyed surrounding microtubules by secreting VirA by means of the type III secretion system. Degradation of microtubules by VirA was dependent on its alpha-tubulin-specific cysteine protease-like activity. virA mutants did not move within the host cytoplasm and failed to move into adjacent cells.
Yoshida
Sei
S
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, 4-6-1, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
Handa
Yutaka
Y
Suzuki
Toshihiko
T
Ogawa
Michinaga
M
Suzuki
Masato
M
Tamai
Asuka
A
Abe
Akio
A
Katayama
Eisaku
E
Sasakawa
Chihiro
C
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000382:microbiology*; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009068:Movement; D009154:Mutation; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D000199:Actins; D014404:Tubulin; D037521:Virulence Factors; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D015739:Nocodazole