Pili in Gram-positive bacteria: assembly, involvement in colonization and biofilm development.
Various cell-surface multisubunit protein polymers, known as pili or fimbriae, have a pivotal role in the colonization of specific host tissues by many pathogenic bacteria. In contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria assemble pili by a distinct mechanism involving a transpeptidase called sortase. Sortase crosslinks individual pilin monomers and ultimately joins the resulting covalent polymer to the cell-wall peptidoglycan. Here we review current knowledge of this mechanism and the roles of Gram-positive pili in the colonization of specific host tissues, modulation of host immune responses and the development of bacterial biofilms.
Mandlik
Anjali
A
Department of Molecular, Microbial, and Structural Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
Swierczynski
Arlene
A
Das
Asis
A
Ton-That
Hung
H
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial