Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2007-5-15
pubmed:abstractText
Group A Streptococcus (GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes) is a Gram-positive human pathogen responsible for several acute diseases and autoimmune sequelae that account for half a million deaths worldwide every year. GAS infections require the capacity of the pathogen to adhere to host tissues and assemble in cell aggregates. Furthermore, a role for biofilms in GAS pathogenesis has recently been proposed. Here we investigated the role of GAS pili in biofilm formation. We demonstrated that GAS pilus-negative mutants, in which the genes encoding either the pilus backbone structural protein or the sortase C1 have been deleted, showed an impaired capacity to attach to a pharyngeal cell line. The same mutants were much less efficient in forming cellular aggregates in liquid culture and microcolonies on human cells. Furthermore, mutant strains were incapable of producing the typical three-dimensional layer with bacterial microcolonies embedded in a carbohydrate polymeric matrix. Complemented mutants had an adhesion and aggregation phenotype similar to the wild-type strain. Finally, in vivo expression of pili was indirectly confirmed by demonstrating that most of the sera from human patients affected by GAS-mediated pharyngitis recognized recombinant pili proteins. These data support the role of pili in GAS adherence and colonization and suggest a general role of pili in all pathogenic streptococci.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0950-382X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
64
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
968-83
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Adhesins, Bacterial, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Aminoacyltransferases, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Antibodies, Bacterial, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Bacterial Adhesion, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Bacterial Proteins, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Biofilms, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Cell Line, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Cysteine Endopeptidases, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Epithelial Cells, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Epithelium, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Fimbriae, Bacterial, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Gene Deletion, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Genetic Complementation Test, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Microscopy, Confocal, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Microscopy, Immunoelectron, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Pharynx, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Streptococcal Infections, pubmed-meshheading:17501921-Streptococcus pyogenes
pubmed:year
2007
pubmed:articleTitle
Streptococcus pyogenes pili promote pharyngeal cell adhesion and biofilm formation.
pubmed:affiliation
Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural