This review discusses the cell biological properties of the actin cytoskeleton in polarized epithelial cells and the mechanisms viral pathogens use to manipulate this system to facilitate infection.
This review highlights the mechanisms by which diverse viruses manipulate the actin cytoskeleton of polarized epithelial cells to promote infection.
Many diverse viruses target a polarized epithelial monolayer during host invasion. The polarized epithelium is adept at restricting the movement of solutes, ions, macromolecules, and pathogens across the mucosa. This regulation can be attributed to the presence of a junctional complex between adjacent cells and to an intricate network of actin filaments that provides support to the subapical membrane and stabilizes intercellular junctions. It is therefore not surprising that many viruses have evolved highly varied strategies to dissolve or modulate the cortical actin meshwork to promote infection of polarized cells. In this review, we will discuss the cell biological properties of the actin cytoskeleton in polarized epithelial cells and review the known mechanisms utilized by viral pathogens to manipulate this system in order to facilitate their infection.
Delorme‐Axford et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Viral infection of polarized epithelial cells. This review discusses the cell biological properties of the actin cytoskeleton in polarized epithelial cells and the mechanisms viral pathogens use to manipulate this system to facilitate infection.