Streptococcus pneumoniae Interacts with pIgR expressed by the brain microvascular endothelium but does not co-localize with PAF receptor.

ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae is thought to adhere to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium prior to causing meningitis. The platelet activating factor receptor (PAFR) has been implicated in this adhesion but there is a paucity of data demonstrating direct binding of the bacteria to PAFR. Additionally, studies that inhibit PAFR strongly suggest that alternative receptors for pneumococci are present on the endothelium. Therefore, we studied the roles of PAFR and pIgR, an established epithelial pneumococcal receptor, in pneumococcal adhesion to brain endothelial cells in vivo. Mice were intravenously infected with pneumococci and sacrificed at various time points before meningitis onset. Co-localization of bacteria with PAFR and pIgR was investigated using immunofluorescent analysis of the br

SUBMITTER: Iovino F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4026408 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature