RALBP1 and infection: Infection studies in HMEC-1 cells using R. parkeri wild-type (WT) or R. parkeri rlip::Tn (non-functional RLip), demonstrate that lack of RLip function significantly impairs rickettsial evasion from bactericidal phagolysosomal fusion, suggesting that RLip plays a critical role in the escape from membrane-bound vacuoles to facilitate the intracytosolic colonization of pathogenic Rickettsia species.