Hemadsorption and virulence are separable properties of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
A selective enrichment technique was used to isolate a hemadsorption-positive revertant of a hemadsorption-negative mutant strain of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This hemadsorption-positive revertant was shown to have simultaneously regained both the ability to attach to neuraminidase-sensitive receptors on the tracheal ring respiratory epithelium in vitro and the ability to synthesize three virulent-strain-specific proteins which were not synthesized by the hemadsorption-negative mutant. Despite the persistence of the revertant in hamster lung tissue for 9 to 12 weeks postinfection, no cytopathology was observed. Intranasal inoculation of the revertant provided limited protection against a challenge dose of virulent M. pneumoniae.
D000268:Adhesiveness; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology; D006382:Hemadsorption; D007114:Immunization; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000494:pharmacology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000517:prevention & control; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology
D009439:Neuraminidase