Surface vesicles: a possible function in commensal relations of Bacteroides fragilis.
Surface vesicles (SV) defined by electron microscopy as outer membrane (OM) extrusions were detected in Bacteroides fragilis strains from distinct sources. A partial identity between SV and OM electrophoretic protein profiles, in addition to the microscopic analysis, may suggest the designation of OMSV. Sialidase activity, a virulence determinant, was associated with these sub-cellular structures in all the strains, but in an inverse relation to the vesicle quantity per cell. A commensal strain, previously defined as avirulent in an animal model, presented the lowest vesicle-associated sialidase activity and the greatest SV expression as opposed to what happened with clinical and environmental strains. These results seem to suggest that these surface components have a function in commensal stages of B. fragilis.
Domingues
R M
RM
Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
Silva e Souza W das
G
G
Moraes
S R
SR
Avelar
K E
KE
Hirata Júnior
R
R
Fonseca
M E
ME
Ferreira
M C
MC
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins