Enzymatic Specificity of Conserved Rho GTPase Deamidases Promotes Invasion of Vibrio parahaemolyticus at the Expense of Infection

Abstract

Many species of intracellular bacterial pathogens target host small Rho GTPases to initiate invasion, including the human pathogens Vibrio parahaemolyticus and uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). The type three secretion system (T3SS) effector VopC of V. parahaemolyticus promotes invasion through the deamidation of Rac1 and CDC42 in the host, whereas the secreted toxin cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1) drives UPEC’s internalization through the deamidation of Rac1, CDC42, and RhoA.