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Updated: Oct 13, 2026
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Imaging Ca2+ Responses During Shigella Infection of Epithelial Cells
Published on: May 24, 2018
Diversion of cytoskeletal processes by Shigella during invasion of epithelial cells
R Bourdet-Sicard1, C Egile, P J Sansonetti
1Unité de pathogénie microbienne moléculaire, Inserm U389, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Microbes and Infection
|August 24, 2000
Abstract:
Shigella, the causative agent of bacillar dysentery, invades colonic epithelial cells and moves intracellularly to spread from cell to cell. The processes of Shigella entry, determined by the Ipa proteins, and of actin-based motility, dependent on the IcsA/VirG protein, represent different levels of bacterial manipulation of the cell cytoskeleton.
Insights
Shigella bacteria cause dysentery by invading colon cells. They use specific proteins (Ipa) for entry and another (IcsA/VirG) for movement within cells, manipulating the cell
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Shigella is a pathogen causing bacillary dysentery.
- Bacterial invasion and intracellular spread are key virulence factors.
- Cytoskeletal manipulation is crucial for pathogen survival and dissemination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms of Shigella invasion into host cells.
- To understand the bacterial factors mediating intracellular motility.
- To investigate how Shigella manipulates the host cytoskeleton.
Main Methods:
- Investigating the role of Ipa proteins in bacterial entry.
- Analyzing the function of IcsA/VirG in actin-based motility.
- Utilizing cell culture models to observe bacterial-host cell interactions.
Main Results:
- Ipa proteins are essential for Shigella invasion of colonic epithelial cells.
- The IcsA/VirG protein facilitates Shigella's actin-based intracellular movement.
- Shigella actively manipulates the host cell cytoskeleton for invasion and spread.
Conclusions:
- Shigella employs distinct protein-mediated strategies for cell entry and intracellular motility.
- The pathogen demonstrates sophisticated manipulation of the host cytoskeleton to facilitate infection.
- Understanding these processes is vital for developing targeted anti-Shigella therapies.
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