Roles of pilin and PilC in adhesion of Neisseria meningitidis to human epithelial and endothelial cells

Xavier Nassif, Jean Luc Beretti, Jonathan Lowy, Paula Stenberg, Peadar O'Gaora, John Pfeifer, Staffan Normark, Magdalene So

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

186 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pili and pilin antigenic variation play important roles in adhesion of Neisseria meningitidis (MC) to human epithelial and endothelial cells. We recently identified one pilin variant that confers high adhesiveness of MC to human epithelial cells in culture. However, other factor(s) also play a role in MC adhesiveness, since some nonadhesive variants of MC strain 8013 are piliated and produce the same pilin variant as adhesive derivatives. PilC1 and PilC2, high molecular weight outer membrane proteins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, are proposed to play roles in pilus assembly. Strain 8013 also contains pilC1 and pilC2; their products function in a similar if not identical manner in pilus biogenesis. PilC1 has an additional function in that it also modulates adhesiveness of strain 8013.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3769-3773
Number of pages5
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume91
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 26 1994
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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