Junctional gating: the achilles' heel of epithelial cells in pathogen infection.
Mucosal epithelial cells are a major barrier restricting pathogen entry and, paradoxically, an important entry port for respiratory and enteric viruses. Elegant studies in this issue of Cell Host & Microbe describe how coxsackievirus B3 (related to human poliovirus) infects polarized epithelial cells by engaging two transmembrane proteins of the tight junctions, occludin and CAR. A distinctive endocytic mechanism opens the junctions and gates infectious virus entry.
Greber
Urs F
UF
Institute of Zoology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland. ufgreber@zool.uzh.ch
Gastaldelli
Michele
M
D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000821:virology; D062793:Occludin; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051603:Recoverin / Q000502:physiology; D053586:Virus Internalization
D008565:Membrane Proteins; C568985:OCLN protein, human; D062793:Occludin; C496731:RCVRN protein, human; D051603:Recoverin