Subversion of integrins by enteropathogenic Yersinia

Enteropathogenic Yersinia are gram-negative bacterial species that transloc ate from the lumen of the intestine and are able to grow within deep tissue sites. During the earliest stages of disease? the organism is able to bind integrin receptors that are presented on the apical surface of M cells in the intestine, which allows its internalization and subsequent translocatio n into regional lymph nodes. The primary integrin substrate is the outer-me mbrane protein invasin, which binds with extraordinarily high affinity to a t least five different integrins that have the beta (1) chain. Bacterial up take into host cells is modulated by the affinity of receptor-substrate int eraction, receptor concentration and the ability of the substrate to aggreg ate target receptors.