Mycoplasma genitalium Nonadherent Phase Variants Arise by Multiple Mechanisms and Escape Antibody-Dependent Growth Inhibition.

ABSTRACT: Antigenic variation of the immunodominant MgpB and MgpC proteins has been suggested to be a mechanism of immune evasion of the human pathogen Mycoplasma genitalium, a cause of several reproductive tract disease syndromes. Phase variation resulting in the loss of adherence has also been documented, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this process and its role in pathogenesis are still poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized 40 spontaneous, nonadherent phase variants from in vitro-passaged M. genitalium cultures. In all cases, nonadherence was associated with the loss of MgpBC protein expression, attributable to sequence changes in the mgpBC expression site. Phase variants were grouped into seven classes on the basis of the nature of th

SUBMITTER: Burgos R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5865045 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature