During infection with the intracellular bacterial pathogen L. monocytogenes, large infected domains in epithelial cell monolayers are forced to extrude to form three-dimensional mounds due to the collective and cooperative onslaught triggered by their uninfected neighbors. This mechanical competition between uninfected and bacterially-infected cells limits pathogen dissemination through the epithelium. To learn more read our paper and a really nice preview write-up that Dev. Cell gave us.
