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Updated: Jul 31, 2025

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Author Spotlight: Advancements in Understanding and Combatting Shigella Infections
Published on: February 9, 2024
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Synaptopodin is necessary for Shigella flexneri intercellular spread.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|May 10, 2023
Summary
The actin-binding protein synaptopodin is essential for intracellular bacteria to spread between cells. It helps organize actin tails, promoting the formation and stability of cellular protrusions required for pathogen dissemination.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Pathogen-Host Interactions
Background:
- Intracellular pathogens utilize intercellular spread for dissemination, a process dependent on actin cytoskeleton dynamics.
- Pathogen-induced actin polymerization drives the formation of cellular protrusions for cell-to-cell movement.
- Mechanisms by which pathogens manipulate host actin for efficient spread remain incompletely understood.
Conclusions:
- Synaptopodin is a critical host factor enabling intracellular bacteria to efficiently spread between epithelial cells.
- The protein reprograms the host actin cytoskeleton to facilitate protrusion formation and pathogen dissemination.
- These findings highlight a novel cellular function for synaptopodin in pathogen virulence and host-pathogen interactions.
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