Myosins, an Underestimated Player in the Infectious Cycle of Pathogenic Bacteria

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Myosins are crucial motor proteins involved in fundamental cellular processes like migration, adhesion, and intracellular transport.
• Bacteria exploit host cell machinery, including myosins, to establish infection and propagate within host organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the diverse strategies employed by various bacterial pathogens to target and manipulate host cell myosins.
• To illustrate how hijacking myosins aids bacteria in adhesion, entry, intracellular survival, dissemination, and host cell exit.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on bacterial interactions with host cell myosins.
• Analysis of examples from pathogens including enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Neisseria, Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, and Chlamydia.

Main Results:

• Bacteria utilize myosins for diverse pathogenic mechanisms: cell adhesion, internalization, evasion of host defenses, intracellular niche formation, cell-to-cell spread, and host cell exit.
• Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated and varied approaches to co-opt myosin functions, particularly targeting the actin cytoskeleton.

Conclusions:

• Host cell myosins represent a privileged and versatile target for bacterial manipulation.
• Understanding these bacterial hijacking strategies is key to developing novel therapeutic interventions against infectious diseases.