Conjugated action of two species-specific invasion proteins for fetoplacental listeriosis.

Abstract	The ability to cross host barriers is an essential virulence determinant of invasive microbial pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes is a model microorganism that crosses human intestinal and placental barriers, and causes severe maternofetal infections by an unknown mechanism. Several studies have helped to characterize the bacterial invasion proteins InlA and InlB. However, their respective species specificity has complicated investigations on their in vivo role. Here we describe two novel and complementary animal models for human listeriosis: the gerbil, a natural host for L. monocytogenes, and a knock-in mouse line ubiquitously expressing humanized E-cadherin. Using these two models, we uncover the essential and interdependent roles of InlA and InlB in fetoplacental listeriosis, and thereby decipher the molecular mechanism underlying the ability of a microbe to target and cross the placental barrier.
Authors	Olivier Disson, Solène Grayo, Eugénie Huillet, Georgios Nikitas, Francina Langa-Vives, Olivier Dussurget, Marie Ragon, Alban Le Monnier, Charles Babinet, Pascale Cossart, Marc Lecuit
Journal	Nature (Nature) Vol. 455 Issue 7216 Pg. 1114-8 (Oct 23 2008) ISSN: 1476-4687 [Electronic] England
PMID	18806773 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References	Bacterial Proteins Cadherins Membrane Proteins Receptors, Growth Factor inlB protein, Listeria monocytogenes internalin protein, Bacteria
Topics	Animals Bacterial Proteins (genetics, metabolism) Cadherins (genetics) Cells, Cultured Disease Models, Animal Enterocytes (microbiology) Epithelial Cells (microbiology) Female Fetal Diseases (microbiology) Gerbillinae Humans Listeria monocytogenes (physiology) Listeriosis (microbiology, transmission) Maternal-Fetal Exchange Membrane Proteins (genetics, metabolism) Mice Molecular Sequence Data Placenta Diseases (microbiology) Pregnancy Pregnancy Complications, Infectious (metabolism, microbiology) Protein Binding Receptors, Growth Factor (metabolism) Species Specificity

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