title: Integrity of Escherichia coli P pili during biogenesis: properties and role of PapJ.
abstract: The papJ gene of uropathogenic Escherichia coli is required to maintain the integrity of Gal alpha (1-4)Gal-binding P pili. Electron microscopy and ELISA have established that strains carrying the papJ1 mutant allele have a large amount of pilus antigen free of the cells. In contrast to the whole pili released by strains unable to produce the PapH pilus anchor, the free papJ1 pili consist of variably sized segments that appear to result from internal breakages to the pilus. The DNA sequence of papJ is presented and its gene product identified as an 18kD periplasmic protein that possesses homology with nucleotide-binding proteins. PapJ may function as a 'molecular chaperone' directly or indirectly establishing the correct assembly of PapA subunits in the P pilus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tennent
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Normark
mesh_terms: D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D018830:Adhesins, Escherichia coli; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins