For multiple intracellular bacterial pathogens, the ability to spread directly into adjacent epithelial cells is an essential step for disease in humans. For pathogens such as Shigella, Listeria, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia, this intercellular movement frequently requires the pathogens to manipulate the host actin cytoskeleton and deform the plasma membrane into structures known as protrusions, which extend into neighboring cells. The protrusion is then typically resolved into a double-membrane vacuole (DMV) from which the pathogen quickly escapes into the cytosol, where additional rounds of intercellular spread occur. Significant progress over the last few years has begun to define the mechanisms by which intracellular bacterial pathogens spread. This review highlights the interactions of bacterial and host factors that drive mechanisms required for intercellular spread with a focus on how protrusion structures form and resolve.
Keywords: Burkholderia; Listeria; Rickettsia; Shigella; actin; intercellular spread; protrusions.