New insights into how gram-negative bacteria deliver virulence proteins into host cells

Dr. Marcia Goldberg and colleagues described a key step in the process by which the intestinal pathogen Shigella and other gram-negative bacterial pathogens inject virulence proteins (effector proteins) into host cells during infection. Effector proteins establish and promote infection of host cells. The most common mechanism used by bacteria to deliver these proteins is a specialized apparatus known as a type 3 secretion system. Pathogens sitting outside the cell make a pore in the cell membrane and then deliver the proteins into the cell via the pore. Data published in this paper show that interaction between one of the pore proteins and a protein within the cell is required for this process to succeed. Russo BC, et al, Nat Microbiol, online March 7, 2016.

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