RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Here to Stay
JF Science Signaling
JO Sci. Signal.
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP ec276
OP ec276
DO 10.1126/scisignal.3138ec276
VO 3
IS 138
A1 Hurtley, Stella M.
YR 2010
UL http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/3/138/ec276.abstract
AB For systemic infection, bacterial pathogens must breach the mucosal epithelial barrier. Our bodies have developed a variety of strategies to protect the mucosa, including rapid turnover of epithelial cells. Muenzner et al. show how invasive bacteria overcome this host defense in a humanized mouse model susceptible to Neisseria gonorrhoeae urogenital infection. The bacteria bind to a host-cell surface protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which triggers a cascade of changes modulating the cell adhesion properties of the targeted epithelium to prevent the cells from being shed. P. Muenzner, V. Bachmann, W. Zimmermann, J. Hentschel, C. R. Hauck, Human-restricted bacterial pathogens block shedding of epithelial cells by stimulating integrin activation. Science 329, 1197–1201 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]