Bacteria can enter the body through consumption or bodily fluids.
IPA proteins, or Invasion Plasmid Antigens, are created by a particularly harmful bacteria that is known as, Shigella flexneri. This bacteria is a serious threat as it invades cells quickly through a highly efficient process and causes mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines to break down. Consequently, infected patients suffer from extreme dysentery and will often have visible blood and other body tissues present in their stools. Patients also largely suffer from dehydration as the body is unable to absorb water properly due to cell destruction.
IPA Protein as an Aid
IPA proteins are manipulated by bacteria such as, Shigella flexneri. Before bacteria can successfully attack a cell, they must first produce proteins in order to gain access to the cell. Essentially, bacteria masquerades itself as a safe protein and enters the cell undetected before it can be fought off by the white blood cells. Once the bacteria is in the cell, it multiplies. After there are enough infected cells in the body, the person becomes noticeably ill.
IPA Protein Production
IPA proteins are not only manipulated, but are produced by the bacteria Shigella flexneri. After the bacteria attaches itself to a cell wall it encodes or copies it's information onto plasmid and chromosomal proteins and produces what is known as the VirB protein. This protein then creates a triad protein that is known as a Mxi- Spa translocon, of which the IPA protein is a part of. The VirB protein goes to work as soon as the bacteria locates and attaches itself to a target cell. VirB immediately releases a plethora of IPA proteins.
IPA Proteins at Work
IPA proteins go to work invading the cell by sending signals to the cell. The signals that the proteins send fool the cell into thinking that they are safe organisms. They then enter the cell and pave the way for the bacteria to follow suit or in some cases the bacteria remain on the outside of the cell and then the proteins solely manipulate the cell.
E. coli versus Shigella flexneri
Shigella flexneri is considered to be in the same genus as the harmful bacteria E. coli. Both bacteria cause similar illness symptoms and it is believed that Shigella flexneri evolved from E. coli. The main difference between the two is that E. coli always enters the infected cell after it's proteins take it over while Shigella flexneri has various strands. Some Shigella flexneri strands follow it's protein into the infected cell while others manipulate the cell from the outside during a membrane attachment.
