RhoGTPases and inflammasomes: Guardians of effector-triggered immunity

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Apr 29;17(4):e1009504. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009504. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Pathogens have evolved smart strategies to invade hosts and hijack their immune responses. One such strategy is the targeting of the host RhoGTPases by toxins or virulence factors to hijack the cytoskeleton dynamic and immune processes. In response to this microbial attack, the host has evolved an elegant strategy to monitor the function of virulence factors and toxins by sensing the abnormal activity of RhoGTPases. This innate immune strategy of sensing bacterial effector targeting RhoGTPase appears to be a bona fide example of effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Here, we review recently discovered mechanisms by which the host can sense the activity of these toxins through NOD and NOD-like receptors (NLRs).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / immunology*
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Cytoskeleton / immunology
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Inflammasomes / immunology*
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein / metabolism*
  • NLR Proteins / metabolism*
  • Pyrin / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism*
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Inflammasomes
  • NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein
  • NLR Proteins
  • Pyrin
  • Virulence Factors
  • rho GTP-Binding Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Inserm (inserm.fr), Université Côte d’Azur (univ-cotedazur.fr), ANR (anr.fr) (ANR-17-CE15-0001) to L.B.. O.D. is supported by a fellowship from Inserm and Université Côte d’Azur. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.