Type-4 pili and meningococcal adhesiveness.
The ability to interact with non-phagocytic cells is a crucial virulence attribute of the meningococcus. Pili play a major role in this process and are the only means yet discovered by which capsulated bacteria may adhere to cells. Pilus-mediated adhesion is a two-step process which requires (i) the expression of the adhesin PilC1 and (ii) the expression of an appropriate pilin variant. Some pilin variants have the ability to modify the degree of adhesiveness through the formation of bundles of pili which increases bacteria-bacteria interactions.
Nassif
X
X
Laboratoire de Microbiologie, INSERM U411, Faculté de Médecine Necker-Enfants Malades, Université René Descartes, Paris, France. nassif@necker.fr
Marceau
M
M
Pujol
C
C
Pron
B
B
Beretti
J L
JL
Taha
M K
MK
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009154:Mutation; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C079208:pilC protein, Neisseria gonorrhoeae; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins