Mutations in the gene encoding the ancillary pilin subunit of the Streptococcus suis srtF cluster result in pili formed by the major subunit only.

ABSTRACT: Pili have been shown to contribute to the virulence of different Gram-positive pathogenic species. Among other critical steps of bacterial pathogenesis, these structures participate in adherence to host cells, colonization and systemic virulence. Recently, the presence of at least four discrete gene clusters encoding putative pili has been revealed in the major swine pathogen and emerging zoonotic agent Streptococcus suis. However, pili production by this species has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the functionality of one of these pili clusters, known as the srtF pilus cluster, by the construction of mutant strains for each of the four genes of the cluster as well as by the generation of antibodies against the putative pilin subunits. Results revealed that the S.

SUBMITTER: Fittipaldi N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2797073 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature