Examination of type IV pilus expression and pilus-associated phenotypes in Kingella kingae clinical isolates.

ABSTRACT: Kingella kingae is a gram-negative bacterium that is being recognized increasingly as a cause of septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in young children. Previous work established that K. kingae expresses type IV pili that mediate adherence to respiratory epithelial and synovial cells. PilA1 is the major pilus subunit in K. kingae type IV pili and is essential for pilus assembly. To develop a better understanding of the role of K. kingae type IV pili during colonization and invasive disease, we examined a collection of clinical isolates for pilus expression and in vitro adherence. In addition, in a subset of isolates we performed nucleotide sequencing to assess the level of conservation of PilA1. The majority of respiratory and nonendocarditis blood isolates were piliated, while the majority

SUBMITTER: Kehl-Fie TE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2849430 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature