Question

Which of the following most accurately describes how Listeria monocytogenes uses the host cell's cytoskeleton to move between cells?

A. Listeria induces host cell apoptosis to facilitate movement.
B. Listeria secretes enzymes that degrade the host cell's cytoskeleton.
C. Listeria polymerizes actin filaments at one end to push itself into adjacent cells.
D. Listeria forms a symbiotic relationship with the host cell's cytoskeleton.

Answer 1

Listeria monocytogenes moves between cells by inducing actin tail formation at one pole, propelling itself directly into an adjacent cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes uses the host cell's cytoskeleton to move between cells by polymerizing actin filaments at one pole of the bacterium. This process produces a protrusion known as an actin tail, which propels the bacterium through the host cytoplasm and into neighboring cells. This mechanism is facilitated by a surface protein the bacterium expresses, called ActA. ActA induces the polymerization of host actin, allowing Listeria to hijack the cytoskeletal machinery of the host to its advantage and promote intercellular spread without escaping into the extracellular environment, which would expose it to the host's immune defense.