Credit: Image courtesy of Jason Carlyon, Ph.D. and Matthew J. Troese, Ph.D./VCU.
The image depicts two Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria (arrows) that are bound to the surfaces of host cells. The bacterium on the right (thick arrow) is invading its host cell by triggering its own uptake. A team of VCU researchers led by Jason Carlyon, Ph.D., has identified a key mechanism by which this pathogen invades host cells. Their findings provide a direction for developing a vaccine for protecting against A. phagocytophilum and related bacterial pathogens.