These bacteria induce the assembly of actin-rich tails in the host cell cytoplasm, which enable them to move rapidly. Motile bacteria spread from cell to cell by forming membrane-enclosed protrusions that are engulfed by neighboring cells. (B) Fluorescence micrograph of the bacteria moving in a cell that has been stained to reveal both bacteria and actin filaments. Note the comet-like tail of actin filaments (green) behind each moving bacterium (red). Regions of overlap of red and green fluorescence appear yellow. (B, courtesy of Julie Theriot and Tim Mitchison.)
From: Cell Biology of Infection
NCBI / NLM / NIH
Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition.
Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al.
New York: Garland Science; 2002.
Copyright © 2002, Bruce Alberts, Alexander Johnson, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and Peter Walter; Copyright © 1983, 1989, 1994, Bruce Alberts, Dennis Bray, Julian Lewis, Martin Raff, Keith Roberts, and James D. Watson .
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