Arp2/3-mediated actin-based motility: a tail of pathogen abuse.

ABSTRACT: Intracellular pathogens have developed elaborate mechanisms to exploit the different cellular systems of their unwilling hosts to facilitate their entry, replication, and survival. In particular, a diverse range of bacteria and viruses have evolved unique strategies to harness the power of Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization to enhance their cell-to-cell spread. In this review, we discuss how studying these pathogens has revolutionized our molecular understanding of Arp2/3-dependent actin assembly and revealed key signaling pathways regulating actin assembly in cells. Future analyses of microbe-host interactions are likely to continue uncovering new mechanisms regulating actin assembly and dynamics, as well as unexpected cellular functions for actin. Further, studies with known and newly

SUBMITTER: Welch MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3933244 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature