CD46-independent binding of neisserial type IV pili and the major pilus adhesin, PilC, to human epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a gram-negative bacterial pathogen which infects the human mucosal epithelium. An early critical event in neisserial infection is the type IV pilus-mediated adherence to the host cell. The PilC protein, located on the pilus tip, has earlier been identified as the major pilus adhesin. Previous studies suggested that the cell surface protein CD46 is a pilus receptor for Neisseria. We investigated the role of CD46 in pilus-mediated gonococcal infection of epithelial cells. Differences in binding efficiencies of piliated gonococci as well as purified pilus adhesin PilC2 on human epithelial cell lines did not correlate to the level of surface-expressed CD46. Additionally, no binding of piliated gonococci or PilC2 protein was observed on CD46-transfected CHO and MDCK cel

SUBMITTER: Kirchner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1087333 | biostudies-literature | 2005 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature