Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-11-25
pubmed:abstractText
Cable pili are unique peritrichous adherence organelles expressed by certain strains of the opportunistic human pathogen Burkholderia cenocepacia. Cable pili have been proposed to facilitate binding to human epithelial cells and mucin, and may play a role in the ability of B. cenocepacia to colonise the respiratory tract of compromised hosts. In this study, a genetic approach was undertaken to assess the role of cable pili in mediating adherence as well as bacterial cell-cell interactions. The cblA gene, encoding the major pilin subunit, was insertionally inactivated, and the resulting mutant was shown to be blocked in CblA expression and in cable pilus morphogenesis. Although non-piliated, the cblA mutant was not defective in adherence to either porcine mucin or to cultured A549 human respiratory epithelial cells. Microscopic and flow cytometric analyses of B. cenocepacia cultures revealed that cable pilus expression facilitated the formation of diffuse cell networks, whereas disruption of cable pilus biogenesis enhanced autoaggregation and the formation of compact cell aggregates. Autoaggregation was observed both in culture and during B. cenocepacia infection of A549 epithelial cell monolayers. These findings indicate that cable pilus expression plays an important role in mediating B. cenocepacia cell-cell interactions, and that both cable pilus-dependent and cable pilus-independent mechanisms may contribute to B. cenocepacia adherence to cellular and acellular surfaces.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0378-1097
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
21
pubmed:volume
228
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
287-97
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
Adherence and autoaggregation phenotypes of a Burkholderia cenocepacia cable pilus mutant.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0312, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't