[HTML][HTML] Epithelial cells are sensitive detectors of bacterial pore-forming toxins

AJ Ratner, KR Hippe, JL Aguilar, MH Bender… - Journal of Biological …, 2006 - ASBMB
Epithelial cells act as an interface between human mucosal surfaces and the surrounding
environment. As a result, they are responsible for the initiation of local immune responses,
which may be crucial for prevention of invasive infection. Here we show that epithelial cells
detect the presence of bacterial pore-forming toxins (including pneumolysin from
Streptococcus pneumoniae, α-hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus, streptolysin O from
Streptococcus pyogenes, and anthrolysin O from Bacillus anthracis) at nanomolar …