The Preparation and Properties of Gonococcal Pili

Robertson, Jan; Vincent, P; Ward, Michael E.

doi:10.1099/00221287-102-1-169

Cited by 84 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The strong correlation between pili and S motility observed by Kaiser (15) suggests a function in cohesion, because the role of pili as attachment organelles has been demonstrated in a variety of pathogenic bacteria (2,9,17,21,23). M. xanthus pili about one cell length long were observed in a tuft at one of the cell poles (15).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Cell surface properties correlated with cohesion in Myxococcus xanthus

1988

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The gliding behavior of Myxococcus xanthus cells is controlled by two multigene systems, A and S, which encode information for adventurous and social behaviors, respectively. The S system can be genetically disrupted through mutation, such as a dsp mutation, or phenotypically disrupted by treating cells with the diazo dye Congo red (Arnold and Shimkets, J. Bacteriol. 170:5765-5770, 1988). One of the functions controlled by the S system is cell agglutination. Immediately after the induction of agglutination, wild-type cells begin to form aggregates, and within 30 min the cells are packed side-to-side in clumps containing thousands of cells. Changes in the cohesive properties of S+ cells are correlated with changes in the topology of the cell surface observed by electron microscopy. Two types of cell-associated appendages were observed on wild-type cells: thin filaments (ca. 5 nm in diameter), which have been called fimbriae or pili, at one cell pole, and thick, flaccid ifiaments (ca. 50 nm in diameter), referred to as fibrils, at both the sides and tips of cells. Cohesion was correlated with the secretion of the thick fibrils, which coat the cell surface and form an extracellular matrix in which the cells are interconnected. Several lines of evidence suggest that these thick fibrils are involved in cohesion. First, Dsp cells were unable to agglutinate or secrete this extracellular material. Second, wild-type cells which were treated with Congo red neither agglutinated nor secreted the extracellular fibrils. Finally, removal of the Congo red from wild-type cells restored cohesion and also restored production of the thick fibrils. Attempts to estimate the efficiency with which two cells cohered following collision suggested that under optimal conditions, one in three collisions resulted in stable contact. The collision efficiency decreased linearly as the cell density increased, suggesting a cell density-dependent regulation of cohesion. Some aspects of gliding behavior can be explained in terms of an inducer and an inhibitor of S motility.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Cell surface properties correlated with cohesion in Myxococcus xanthus

1988

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In 1977, the first report on gonococcal pilus glycosylation (strain P9) was published (465). Dedicated research on the glycosylation of meningococcal and gonococcal pili emerged only in the early 1990s (289,(466)(467)(468)(469)(470) and has remained a hot topic in bacterial glycosylation with the discovery of the general character of the glycosylation machinery in 2009 (471).…”

Section: Protein Glycosylationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sweet Tooth of Bacteria: Common Themes in Bacterial Glycoconjugates

Tytgat

Lebeer

2014

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

129

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARY Humans have been increasingly recognized as being superorganisms, living in close contact with a microbiota on all their mucosal surfaces. However, most studies on the human microbiota have focused on gaining comprehensive insights into the composition of the microbiota under different health conditions (e.g., enterotypes), while there is also a need for detailed knowledge of the different molecules that mediate interactions with the host. Glycoconjugates are an interesting class of molecules for detailed studies, as they form a strain-specific barcode on the surface of bacteria, mediating specific interactions with the host. Strikingly, most glycoconjugates are synthesized by similar biosynthesis mechanisms. Bacteria can produce their major glycoconjugates by using a sequential or an en bloc mechanism, with both mechanistic options coexisting in many species for different macromolecules. In this review, these common themes are conceptualized and illustrated for all major classes of known bacterial glycoconjugates, with a special focus on the rather recently emergent field of glycosylated proteins. We describe the biosynthesis and importance of glycoconjugates in both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria and in both Gram-positive and -negative organisms. The focus lies on microorganisms important for human physiology. In addition, the potential for a better knowledge of bacterial glycoconjugates in the emerging field of glycoengineering and other perspectives is discussed.

show abstract

“…For example, fimbriated Neisseriae gonorrhoeae strains adhere to epithelial cells in the human urogenital tract [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%