Abstract
Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein typically located in the cytoplasm of mesenchymal cells, can also be secreted as an extracellular protein. The organization of extracellular vimentin strongly determines its functions in physiological and pathological conditions, making it a promising target for future therapeutic interventions. The extracellular form of vimentin has been found to play a role in the interaction between host cells and pathogens. In this review, we first discuss the molecular biophysics of extracellular vimentin, including its structure, secretion, and adhesion properties. We then provide a general overview of the role of extracellular vimentin in mediating pathogen-host interactions, with a focus on its interactions with viruses and bacteria. We also discuss the implications of these findings for the development of new therapeutic strategies for combating infectious diseases.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 102233 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Current Opinion in Cell Biology |
| Volume | 85 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
| MoE publication type | A2 Review article in a scientific journal |
Funding
This work was supported by Academy of Finland , Sigrid Jusélius Foundation , Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation , the Endowment of the Åbo Akademi University , K. Albin Johanssons stiftelse , Maud Kuistila Memorial Foundation , Liv och Hälsa Foundation , Otto A Malm Foundation , Finnish Cultural Foundation , Swedish Cultural Foundation , Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation and the Foundation “Konung Gustaf V:s och Drottning Victorias Frimurarestiftelse” . This work was also supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM142963 and National Science Foundation award number MCB 2026747 granted to AP. We thank Solveig Eriksson for the help with the graphical design. Graphics were created with BioRender.com .