Pathogenic Bordetella Bacteria Exploit Axonemal Microtubules to Penetrate the Ciliary Barrier

Respiratory pathogens face a daunting physical challenge during host colonization. Invading microbes must resist elimination by motile respiratory cilia, which beat continuously to sweep debris from the airways. Bacteria have long been known to use adhesive proteins to bind host cells, but recent work shows that Bordetella species utilize an unusual strategy to colonize respiratory epithelia. Bordetella deploy FhaB adhesins that translocate a novel microtubule-binding domain into cilia to interact with the axoneme. These findings reveal FhaB to be a unique adhesive factor that exploits the internal cytoskeleton to colonize a protected niche in the host respiratory tract.