Interactions between encapsulated Neisseria meningitidis and host cells.

A major feature of Neisseria meningitidis is its ability to invade human brain meninges. To access the meninges, the bacteria must cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is one of the tightest barriers in the body. Therefore, N. meningitidis must have evolved some type of sophisticated means to bypass the physical properties of this cellular barrier. As N. meningitidis is encapsulated when present in the bloodstream, this review will focus on the mechanisms that encapsulated N. meningitidis has developed to interact with host cells and will suggest ways in which these mechanisms may be helpful for crossing the BBB.