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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Microbial strategies to exploit host cells

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The European Research Conference (EURESCO) on Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of the Endomembrane System was held in sunny San Feliu de Guixols, Spain, between 16 and 21 October 2004. The conference was organized by D. Holden and H. Stenmark ![][1] By bringing together scientists from the fields of microbiology and cell biology, the European Research Conference (EURESCO) on ‘Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of the Endomembrane System’ combined the best of both worlds at the intersection where intracellular pathogens and host cells meet. The mixture of studies, which focused on the molecular mechanisms behind endocytic and secretory transport, and the pathogenic microbes that exploit these pathways, was extremely fruitful for both sides. Excellent talks by young scientists and lively poster sessions contributed to the excitement and quality of this meeting. ### Mechanisms of sorting to vesicular pathways J. Lippincott‐Schwartz (Bethesda, MD, USA) started the meeting by providing evidence that proteins move through the Golgi by a process of rapid equilibration rather than using vectorial transport or the maturation of cisternae. The role of actin polymerization in the cis ‐Golgi to coordinate retrograde transport through cell‐division cycle protein 42 (CDC42), neural Wiskott‐Aldrich syndrome protein (N‐WASP) and the actin‐related protein complex ARP2/3 was elegantly shown by G. Egea (Barcelona, Spain). At the plasma membrane (PM), successful pathogenic invaders choose the endocytic pathway often, although not exclusively, through the use of specific receptors (Fig 1). Pathogenic bacteria using type III and IV secretion systems inject effectors into the cytoplasm to manipulate host cell functions, such as triggering uptake and phagosome deviation, as exemplified by Salmonella and Legionella . Owing, in part, to motifs in the carboxy‐terminal domains of the receptors, the chosen pathway might have opposite consequences in terms of signalling or degradation. Signalling through the transforming growth factor‐β receptor (TGF‐βR) is enhanced after uptake through clathrin‐mediated endocytosis, whereas TGF‐βR is downregulated … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif