Kingella kingae expresses type IV pili that mediate adherence to respiratory epithelial and synovial cells.

ABSTRACT: Kingella kingae is a gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the respiratory tract and is a common cause of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. Despite the increasing frequency of K. kingae disease, little is known about the mechanism by which this organism adheres to respiratory epithelium and seeds joints and bones. Previous work showed that K. kingae expresses long surface fibers that vary in surface density. In the current study, we found that these fibers are type IV pili and are necessary for efficient adherence to respiratory epithelial and synovial cells and that the number of pili expressed by the bacterium correlates with the level of adherence to synovial cells but not with the level of adherence to respiratory cells. In addition, we established that the major pilin subunit is en

SUBMITTER: Kehl-Fie TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2580711 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature