Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Visualisation and Quantification of Intracellular Interactions of Neisseria meningitidis and Human α-actinin by Confocal Imaging
Published on: October 24, 2010
The pattern-recognition molecule Nod1 is localized at the plasma membrane at sites of bacterial interaction
Thomas A Kufer1, Elisabeth Kremmer, Alexander C Adam
1Unité de Pathogénie Microbienne Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur, France, and Unité INSERM 786, Institut Pasteur, France. thomas.kufer@uk-koeln.de
Abstract:
The pattern-recognition molecule Nod1 is a critical sensor for bacterial derived diaminopimelic acid-containing peptidoglycan fragments which induces innate immune responses in epithelial cells. Here we report the subcellular localization of this protein in human epithelial cells. Nod1 is localized in the cytosol and at the plasma membrane in human cells. This membrane association is dependent on the integrity of the protein, on its signalling capacity and on an intact actin cytoskeleton. Signalling-inactive mutants of Nod1 or disruption of the actin cytoskeleton interferes with this localization pattern and impacts on downstream NF-kappaB activation. Moreover, the invasive bacterium Shigella flexneri was used as a model for physiological activation of Nod1. Imaging revealed that Nod1 is recruited to the site of bacterial entry, where it colocalizes with NEMO. Our data provide evidence that membrane association is linked to Nod1 function and, in view of recent findings on Nod2, that this may be a common feature of NLR family members.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cells of the Innate Immune Response
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Nucleoid
Adherens Junctions
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Plasma Membrane in Bacteria and Archaea
Bacterial RNA Polymerase
In most genes, the transcription site is a single base present upstream of the coding sequence. Though RNAP is a catalytically efficient enzyme, it does not recognize...
Bacterial Signaling

