Identification and characterization of pptA: a gene involved in the phase-variable expression of phosphorylcholine on pili of Neisseria meningitidis.

ABSTRACT: Pili of pathogenic Neisseria are major virulence factors associated with adhesion, cytotoxicity, twitching motility, autoaggregation, and DNA transformation. Pili are modified posttranslationally by the addition of phosphorylcholine. However, no genes involved in either the biosynthesis or the transfer of phosphorylcholine in Neisseria meningitidis have been identified. In this study, we identified five candidate open reading frames (ORFs) potentially involved in the biosynthesis or transfer of phosphorylcholine to pilin in N. meningitidis. Insertional mutants were constructed for each ORF in N. meningitidis strain C311#3 to determine their effect on phosphorylcholine expression. The effect of the mutant ORFs on the modification by phosphorylcholine was analyzed by Western analysis with ph

SUBMITTER: Warren MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC308910 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature