Characterization of flagella produced by clinical strains of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging nosocomial pathogen associated with opportunistic infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, cancer, and HIV. Adherence of this organism to abiotic surfaces such as medical implants and catheters represents a major risk for hospitalized patients. The adhesive surface factors involved in adherence of these bacteria are largely unknown, and their flagella have not yet been characterized biochemically and antigenically. We purified and characterized the flagella produced by S. maltophilia clinical strains. The flagella filaments are composed of a 38-kDa subunit, SM(FliC), and analysis of its N-terminal amino acid sequence showed considerable sequence identity to the flagellins of Serratia marcescens (78.6%), Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Shigella sonnei (71.4%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (57.2%). Ultrastructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy of bacteria adhering to plastic showed flagellalike structures within the bacterial clusters, suggesting that flagella are produced as the bacteria spread on the abiotic surface.
de Oliveira-Garcia
Doroti
D
Laboratório Clínico do Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, São Paulo, Brazil.
Dall'Agnol
Monique
M
Rosales
Mónica
M
Azzuz
Ana C G S
AC
Martinez
Marina B
MB
Girón
Jorge A
JA
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D010969:Plastics; D011817:Rabbits; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors
D010969:Plastics