Pathogenic trickery: Deception of host cell processes

Microbial pathogens cause a spectrum of diseases in humans. Although the di sease mechanisms vary considerably, most pathogens have developed virulence factors that interact with host molecules, often usurping normal cellular processes, including cytoskeletal dynamics and vesicle targeting. These vir ulence factors often mimic host molecules, and mediate events as diverse as bacterial invasion, antiphagocytosis, and intracellular parastism.