Meningococci drive host membrane tubulation to recruit their signaling receptors.

ABSTRACT: Once passed into the bloodstream, bacterial pathogens have a limited time to interact with permissive receptors at the surface of host cells. Neisseria meningitidis has developed an extremely effective strategy allowing it to find its receptors in a few seconds. Here, we report that N. meningitidis type IV pili exploit the physical properties of host cells' plasma membranes to promote the formation of early tubular membrane structures essential for initial bacterial adhesion. These tubular structures, which form before any signaling events in host cells, concentrate and trap multiple plasma membrane-associated proteins in the vicinity of bacteria, thereby facilitating the selection, interaction and activation of specific adhesion and signaling receptors by bacterial ligands present on type

SUBMITTER: Laurent-Granger A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12647851 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature