Pathogenic microbes manipulate cofilin activity to subvert actin cytoskeleton

Abstract

Actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin proteins are key players in controlling the temporal and spatial extent of actin dynamics, which is crucial for mediating host–pathogen interactions. Pathogenic microbes have evolved molecular mechanisms to manipulate cofilin activity to subvert the actin cytoskeletal system in host cells, promoting their internalization into the target cells, modifying the replication niche and facilitating their intracellular and intercellular dissemination. The study of how these pathogens exploit cofilin pathways is crucial for understanding infectious disease and providing potential targets for drug therapies.

• Actin-based motility
• actin cytoskeleton
• cofilin
• entry
• pathogen infection

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81274170), the Major Platform Project Funds of Administration of Ocean and Fisheries of Guangdong, China (GD2012-D01-002) and the Research of Quality Control for Sulfur-Fumigated Chinese Materia Medica (SGLH20120926161415784). All authors declare to have no conflicts of interest.