The IbeA-vimentin interaction is required for invasion of meningitic E. coli into BMEC cells and involves vimentin phosphorylation and subsequent signaling via ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinases) and NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), a master regulator of the immune response to infection [6,7,8] (see also Figure 1). This evidence concerns the gene VIM and infection.