Jeffrey Mahr <szjmahr at peseta.ucdavis.edu> wrote:
>hello there, can anyone take the time to tell me what the current thought
>is on adhesins and their effects on virulence - specifically, are pili
>the only characterized adhesins? I read a paper that implicated unknown
>factors in the adhesion of N. gonerreha (besides pili) to human cells -
>what is the current thought on this subject?
>>>sincerly - jamahr at ucdavis.edu>The fact that there are non-pilus adhesins in a variety of pathogens
is well established. These include various outer membrane proteins
that are not pili, but that contribute to adherence. N. gonorrhoeae
opacity proteins contribute to non-pilus mediated adherence. P. aeruginosa
has one or more non-pilus adhesins, which may be more important in the
organisms' ability to bind to mucins, while pili may be more specific
for epithelial cell binding (hey Reuben, are you here?)
Gram positives (Listeria, streptococci, etc),bhave specific adhesins
as well. Take a look at the literature--there's a lot that will answer
your question.
Mark S. Strom, Ph.D. Ph (206) 860-3379 Fax (206) 860-3394
Utilization Research Div. URL: http://research.nwfsc.noaa.gov/
Northwest Fisheries Science Ctr. strom at listeria.nwfsc.noaa.gov
NMFS/NOAA mstrom at sci.nwfsc.noaa.gov
2725 Montlake Blvd. E. *Molecular biology protocols:
Seattle, WA 98112-2097 http://research.nwfsc.noaa.gov/protocols/
