Type IV Pilus Expression Is Upregulated in Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Biofilms Formed at the Temperature of the Human Nasopharynx.

ABSTRACT:

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Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), a commensal of the human nasopharynx (hNP), is a common cause of biofilm-associated diseases of the respiratory tract. However, NTHI biofilm biology at the average hNP temperature, i.e., 34°C, has not been well studied. Here we grew NTHI biofilms at 34°C and 37°C, to evaluate relative biofilm growth, expression, and function of the type IV pilus (Tfp), a critical adhesin important for NTHI biofilm formation. The kinetics and regulation of Tfp expression in NTHI biofilms are unclear, especially at 34°C. Tfp expression, as estimated by pilA promoter activity, was distributed throughout the biofilms, with a unique pattern that was dependent on temperature, time in culture, and position within the maturing biofilm. Tfp expression wa

SUBMITTER: Mokrzan EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5019060 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature