Dominant-negative Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 facilitate the invasion process of Vibrio parahaemolyticus into Caco-2 cells.

To clarify the invasive process of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an invasion assay was performed using cells expressing dominant negative small GTPases of the Rho family. This assay showed that the dominant negative host phenotype facilitates bacterial invasion, suggesting that the mechanism of V. parahaemolyticus invasion differs from that reported for other invasive bacteria.