Pathogens reWritE Rho's rules

Cell. 2006 Jan 13;124(1):15-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.12.024.

Abstract

Many bacterial pathogens use a specialized "type III" secretion system to deliver virulence effector proteins into host mammalian cells. In this issue of Cell, Alto et al. (2006) describe a new family of effectors that share a WxxxE sequence motif. These effectors directly stimulate host signaling pathways by mimicking activated Ras-like cellular GTPases.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs / physiology
  • Bacteria / genetics
  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Bacteria / pathogenicity
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Mimicry / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Virulence / physiology
  • ras Proteins / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • ras Proteins