First published online March 23, 2005
Journal of Cell Science 118, 704e (2005)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
Bacterial hide and seek
To avoid immunological attack, the pathogen Listeria monocytogenes hides within the cells of its host. Internalization of the bacterium by phagocytosis is initiated by interactions between the bug's invasion protein In1B and the host's hepatocyte growth factor receptor Met. Hélène Bierne, Pascale Cossart and co-workers now show that cell-type specific combinations of WASP (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein)-related proteins are required for Listeria entry and for In1B-induced membrane ruffling (see p. 1537). WASP-related proteins recruit and activate the Arp2/3 complex that is required for actin rearrangements. The authors find that, in Vero cells, the WASP relative WAVE2 is essential for In1B-induced cytoskeletal rearrangements; in HeLa cells, WAVE1, WAVE2 and N-WASP cooperatively promote Listeria entry and membrane ruffling. In addition, they demonstrate that Abi1, a key component of WAVE complexes, is needed for In1B-mediated processes in both cell types and that Ena/VASP proteins, which are implicated in cytoskeletal reorganization during actin-dependent motility processes, are involved in Listeria internalization. These results provide new insights into how Listeria exploits its host's cellular machinery and into the redundant and/or cooperative functions of WASP-family members.
Related articles in JCS:
- WASP-related proteins, Abi1 and Ena/VASP are required for Listeria invasion induced by the Met receptor
- Hélène Bierne, Hiroaki Miki, Metello Innocenti, Giorgio Scita, Frank B. Gertler, Tadaomi Takenawa, and Pascale Cossart
JCS 2005 118: 1537-1547.
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