title: Microtubule-severing activity of Shigella is pivotal for intercellular spreading.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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.
authors.forename: Sei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Michinaga
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Eisaku
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasakawa
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D014404:Tubulin; D037521:Virulence Factors; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D015739:Nocodazole