A receptor for meningococcus: eliciting β-arrestin signaling for barrier breaching.
In a recent issue of Cell, Coureuil et al. (2010) show that type IV pili of Neisseria meningitidis-the causative bacterium of cerebrospinal meningitis-bind to the endothelial β2-adrenoceptor and elicit biased β-arrestin signaling resulting in microvilli formation and paracytotic bacterial migration.
Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, #301-2185 East Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. jerome.tourret@gmail.com
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