title: Anaplasma phagocytophilum AptA modulates Erk1/2 signalling.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis, one of the most common tick-borne diseases in North America. This unusual obligate intracellular pathogen selectively persists within polymorphonuclear leucocytes. In this study, using the yeast surrogate model we identified an A. phagocytophilum virulence protein, AptA (A. phagocytophilum toxin A), that activates mammalian Erk1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase. This activation is important for A. phagocytophilum survival within human neutrophils. AptA interacts with the intermediate filament protein vimentin, which is essential for A. phagocytophilum-induced Erk1/2 activation and infection. A. phagocytophilum infection reorganizes vimentin around the bacterial inclusion, thereby contributing to intracellular survival. These observations reveal a major role for the bacterial protein, AptA, and the host protein, vimentin, in the activation of Erk1/2 during A. phagocytophilum infection.
authors: Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8022, USA.
authors: Bindu
authors: B
authors: Sukumaran
authors: Juliana E
authors: JE
authors: Mastronunzio
authors: Sukanya
authors: S
authors: Narasimhan
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Fankhauser
authors: Pradeep D
authors: PD
authors: Uchil
authors: Roie
authors: R
authors: Levy
authors: Morven
authors: M
authors: Graham
authors: Tonya Michelle
authors: TM
authors: Colpitts
authors: Cammie F
authors: CF
authors: Lesser
authors: Erol
authors: E
authors: Fikrig
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D037521:Virulence Factors; C535150:MAPK1 protein, human; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3