The thin pili of Acinetobacter sp. strain BD413 mediate adhesion to biotic and abiotic surfaces.

ABSTRACT: Two structurally different appendages, thin and thick pili, are found in members of the genus Acinetobacter. The presence of pilus structures correlates with different phenotypes, such as adherence to surfaces, a trait not only observed in pathogenic Acinetobacter species, as well as motility. However, their distinct individual roles were unknown. To characterize the role of different pili in the physiology of Acinetobacter, we isolated the thin pili from the cell surface of Acinetobacter sp. strain BD413 (recently recognized as representative of Acinetobacter baylyi), a soil bacterium that rapidly takes up naked DNA from its environment. Electron microscopy revealed that the pilus has an external diameter of 2 to 3 nm for single filaments. The filaments are packed into right-handed bundle

SUBMITTER: Gohl O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1392937 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature