title: Viral apoptotic mimicry party: P.S. Bring your own Gas6.
abstract: In the evolutionary battle between virus and host, viruses have developed numerous strategies to subjugate indispensable cellular functions. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Morizono and colleagues (Morizono et al., 2011) describe how viruses hijack host apoptotic clearance machinery for entry. A host factor called Gas6 enhances infection by bridging virus phosphatidylserine to the clearance receptor Axl.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. jason.mercer@bc.biol.ethz.ch
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mercer