EEA1 is a RAB5A effector protein which binds via an N-terminal zinc finger domain and is required for fusion of early and late endosomes and for sorting at the early endosome level.[5][6]
Involvement in pathogenesis
Due to the proteins importance in vesicular trafficking, a number of intracellular bacteria prevent EEA1 recruitment to the vacuole. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is known to inhibit the recruitment of EEA1 to the phagosomal membrane through CamKII.[7]Legionella pneumophila also prevents EEA1 recruitment through a currently unknown mechanism.[8] The related pathogen Legionella longbeachae recruits EEA1 and appears to replicate within a modified early endosome.[9]
^Urwyler S, Nyfeler Y, Ragaz C, Lee H, Mueller LN, Aebersold R, Hilbi H (Jan 2009). "Proteome analysis of Legionella vacuoles purified by magnetic immunoseparation reveals secretory and endosomal GTPases". Traffic. 10 (1): 76–87. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0854.2008.00851.x. PMID18980612.
^Asare R, Abu Kwaik Y (Jun 2007). "Early trafficking and intracellular replication of Legionella longbeachaea within an ER-derived late endosome-like phagosome". Cellular Microbiology. 9 (6): 1571–87. doi:10.1111/j.1462-5822.2007.00894.x. PMID17309675.