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Letter

Nature Cell Biology 5, 720–726 (1 August 2003) | doi:10.1038/ncb1021

Connexin-dependent inter-cellular communication increases invasion and dissemination of Shigella in epithelial cells

Guy Tran Van Nhieu , Caroline Clair , Roberto Bruzzone , Marc Mesnil , Philippe Sansonetti & Laurent Combettes

Shigella flexneri, the causative agent of bacillar dystentery, invades the colonic mucosa where it elicits an intense inflammatory reaction responsible for destruction of the epithelium. During cell invasion, contact with host cells activates the type-III secretion of the Shigella IpaB and IpaC proteins.