Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.

Infection of host cells by pathogenic microbes triggers signal transduction pathways leading to a multitude of host cell responses including actin cytoskeletal re-arrangements and transcriptional programs. The diarrheagenic pathogens Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and the related Enterohemorrhagic...

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Main Authors: Robert J W Heath, John M Leong, Balázs Visegrády, Laura M Machesky, Ramnik J Xavier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-04-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1001332&type=printable
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author Robert J W Heath
Robert J W Heath
John M Leong
Balázs Visegrády
Laura M Machesky
Ramnik J Xavier
author_facet Robert J W Heath
Robert J W Heath
John M Leong
Balázs Visegrády
Laura M Machesky
Ramnik J Xavier
author_sort Robert J W Heath
collection DOAJ
description Infection of host cells by pathogenic microbes triggers signal transduction pathways leading to a multitude of host cell responses including actin cytoskeletal re-arrangements and transcriptional programs. The diarrheagenic pathogens Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and the related Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subvert the host-cell actin cytoskeleton to form attaching and effacing lesions on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells by injecting effector proteins via a type III secretion system. Here we use a MAL translocation assay to establish the effect of bacterial pathogens on host cell signaling to transcription factor activation. MAL is a cofactor of Serum response factor (SRF), a transcription factor with important roles in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that EPEC induces nuclear accumulation of MAL-GFP. The translocated intimin receptor is essential for this process and phosphorylation of Tyrosine residues 454 and 474 is important. Using an expression screen we identify FLRT3, C22orf28 and TESK1 as novel activators of SRF. Importantly we demonstrate that ABRA (actin-binding Rho-activating protein, also known as STARS) is necessary for EPEC-induced nuclear accumulation of MAL and the novel SRF activator FLRT3, is a component of this pathway. We further demonstrate that ABRA is important for structural maintenance of EPEC pedestals. Our results uncover novel components in pathogen-activated cytoskeleton signalling to MAL activation.
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spelling doaj-art-cdd21ebf408e4657b3111085d9cda86d2025-08-20T02:34:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742011-04-0174e100133210.1371/journal.ppat.1001332Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.Robert J W HeathRobert J W HeathJohn M LeongBalázs VisegrádyLaura M MacheskyRamnik J XavierInfection of host cells by pathogenic microbes triggers signal transduction pathways leading to a multitude of host cell responses including actin cytoskeletal re-arrangements and transcriptional programs. The diarrheagenic pathogens Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and the related Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subvert the host-cell actin cytoskeleton to form attaching and effacing lesions on the surface of intestinal epithelial cells by injecting effector proteins via a type III secretion system. Here we use a MAL translocation assay to establish the effect of bacterial pathogens on host cell signaling to transcription factor activation. MAL is a cofactor of Serum response factor (SRF), a transcription factor with important roles in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that EPEC induces nuclear accumulation of MAL-GFP. The translocated intimin receptor is essential for this process and phosphorylation of Tyrosine residues 454 and 474 is important. Using an expression screen we identify FLRT3, C22orf28 and TESK1 as novel activators of SRF. Importantly we demonstrate that ABRA (actin-binding Rho-activating protein, also known as STARS) is necessary for EPEC-induced nuclear accumulation of MAL and the novel SRF activator FLRT3, is a component of this pathway. We further demonstrate that ABRA is important for structural maintenance of EPEC pedestals. Our results uncover novel components in pathogen-activated cytoskeleton signalling to MAL activation.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1001332&type=printable
spellingShingle Robert J W Heath
Robert J W Heath
John M Leong
Balázs Visegrády
Laura M Machesky
Ramnik J Xavier
Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
PLoS Pathogens
title Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
title_full Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
title_fullStr Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
title_full_unstemmed Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
title_short Bacterial and host determinants of MAL activation upon EPEC infection: the roles of Tir, ABRA, and FLRT3.
title_sort bacterial and host determinants of mal activation upon epec infection the roles of tir abra and flrt3
url https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1001332&type=printable
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