Bacterial outer membrane vesicles and the host–pathogen interaction

  1. Meta J. Kuehn1 and
  2. Nicole C. Kesty
  1. Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA

Abstract

Extracellular secretion of products is the major mechanism by which Gram-negative pathogens communicate with and intoxicate host cells. Vesicles released from the envelope of growing bacteria serve as secretory vehicles for proteins and lipids of Gram-negative bacteria. Vesicle production occurs in infected tissues and is influenced by environmental factors. Vesicles play roles in establishing a colonization niche, carrying and transmitting virulence factors into host cells, and modulating host defense and response. Vesicle-mediated toxin delivery is a potent virulence mechanism exhibited by diverse Gram-negative pathogens. The biochemical and functional properties of pathogen-derived vesicles reveal their potential to critically impact disease.

Keywords

Footnotes

  • Article and publication are at http://www.genesdev.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/gad.1299905.

  • 1 Corresponding author.

    1 E-MAIL meta.kuehn{at}duke.edu; FAX (919) 684-8885.

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