Frequency of pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Variation of the pilus of Neisseria gonorrhoeae occurs by the recombination of silent pilin DNA sequences into the pilin expression locus. We have developed a quantitative, competitive reverse transcription-PCR assay which measures the frequency of pilin antigenic variation independently of changes in gonococcal colony morphology and have determined this frequency within a gonococcal population. We have also studied the frequency of antigenic variation during growth and have concluded that growth does not dramatically influence the frequency of pilin antigenic variation, although a reproducible, twofold increase is observed upon the transition into late log/stationary phase.
Serkin
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CD
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Seifert
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HS
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins