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Related Concept Videos

Colonisation of Pathogens01:25

Colonisation of Pathogens

Pathogen colonization of host tissues is a critical step in the development of infectious diseases. Various pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, have evolved complex strategies to attach to, invade, and persist within host environments. These mechanisms enable pathogens to establish infections, evade immune responses, and resist antimicrobial treatments.Attachment to Host CellsIn bacteria, colonization typically begins with adherence to host epithelial...
Surface Membrane Barriers01:18

Surface Membrane Barriers

The skin and mucous membranes serve as the primary line of defense against pathogens by providing both physical and chemical protection. These barriers are essential in preventing the entry and establishment of microbes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the host.
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...
Defense Mechanism Against Infection01:26

Defense Mechanism Against Infection

Natural flora, body system defenses, and inflammation are natural barriers of the body against infectious agents regardless of previous exposure. Normal floras of the human body refer to the microbial population that colonizes the skin and mucous membranes.
In addition, many body organ systems have unique defenses against infection. The skin is an intact, multilayered surface preventing invasion by microorganisms unless impaired. Mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose, and eyelids are barriers...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...
What are Membranes?01:54

What are Membranes?

A key characteristic of life is the ability to separate the external environment from the internal space. To do this, cells have evolved semi-permeable membranes that regulate the passage of biological molecules. Additionally, the cell membrane defines a cell’s shape and interactions with the external environment. Eukaryotic cell membranes also serve to compartmentalize the internal space into organelles, including the endomembrane structures of the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side
09:58

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side

Published on: May 6, 2016

Host membranes provide hidden gateways for 'accidental pathogens'.

Mathieu Coureuil1, Stefano Marullo2

  • 1Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1151, CNRS UMR8253, Institut Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris F-75015, France.

Trends in Microbiology
|July 5, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Host plasma membranes, not microbial evolution, often drive human infections. Membrane properties like deformation and curvature sensing facilitate bacterial adhesion and entry into host cells.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side
09:58

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side

Published on: May 6, 2016

Generating Transposon Insertion Libraries in Gram-Negative Bacteria for High-Throughput Sequencing
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Analyzing the Permeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier by Microbial Traversal through Microvascular Endothelial Cells
06:26

Analyzing the Permeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier by Microbial Traversal through Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Published on: February 14, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions

Background:

  • Human infections frequently arise from unintended interactions between hosts and pathogens.
  • Microbial adaptation is not always the primary driver of host colonization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the role of intrinsic host plasma membrane properties in bacterial adhesion and entry.
  • To explain how cellular membrane characteristics support pathogen invasion.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on host-pathogen interactions.
  • Analysis of biophysical properties of the plasma membrane.
  • Examination of bacterial adhesion and entry mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Host plasma membrane properties, including deformation and curvature sensing, are crucial for bacterial processes.
  • Receptor enrichment and membrane reservoirs on the host cell surface facilitate pathogen interaction.
  • These intrinsic membrane features support diverse bacterial adhesion and entry mechanisms.

Conclusions:

  • The biophysical characteristics of the host plasma membrane play a significant role in initiating human infections.
  • Understanding these host factors is key to comprehending host-pathogen dynamics.
  • Focusing on host cell properties offers insights into preventing pathogen entry.