Host (human) septins play a role in bacterial pathogenesis  and in host defense mechanisms, mainly, autophagy. Although actin is the most commonly exploited cytoskeletal protein by many bacterial pathogens, septins, which are unique cytoskeletal components, are also found to co-localize with actin at sites of infection. The exact role of septins at these sites are not clear, but it is likely that septins may act as a scaffold for the recruitment and assembly of other proteins involved in infection, or provide additional rigidity to the actin structures triggered by the bacterial pathogens. Read more..