Bacteria deliver a microtubule-binding protein into mammalian cells to promote colonization

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Source: Science Magazine

Original: https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.adz2737?af=R...

Published: 2026-02-19T07:00:03Z

Bacteria supply a microtubule-binding protein to mammalian cells to promote their colonization[1][2][5]. The FhaB protein contains a C-terminal microtubule-binding domain (FhaB-CT) that translocates to the cytoplasm of the host cell[2]. This mechanism allows bacteria to efficiently colonize mammalian cells[1][2][5]. A study published in the journal Science (Volume 391, Issue 6787, Pages 825-830) identifies this process as key to bacterial pathogenicity[1][5]. A major finding is that FhaB-CT directly interacts with microtubules in the host cell, promoting bacterial adherence and spread[2].