NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation.
Bacterial auto-aggregation is a critical step during adhesion of N. meningitidis to host cells. The precise mechanisms and functions of bacterial auto-aggregation still remain to be fully elucidated. In this work, we characterize the role of a meningococcal hypothetical protein, NMB0995/NMC0982, and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2011-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3128610?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818194360845467648 |
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| author | Asaomi Kuwae Hong Sjölinder Jens Eriksson Sara Eriksson Yao Chen Ann-Beth Jonsson |
| author_facet | Asaomi Kuwae Hong Sjölinder Jens Eriksson Sara Eriksson Yao Chen Ann-Beth Jonsson |
| author_sort | Asaomi Kuwae |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bacterial auto-aggregation is a critical step during adhesion of N. meningitidis to host cells. The precise mechanisms and functions of bacterial auto-aggregation still remain to be fully elucidated. In this work, we characterize the role of a meningococcal hypothetical protein, NMB0995/NMC0982, and show that this protein, here denoted NafA, acts as an anti-aggregation factor. NafA was confirmed to be surface exposed and was found to be induced at a late stage of bacterial adherence to epithelial cells. A NafA deficient mutant was hyperpiliated and formed bundles of pili. Further, the mutant displayed increased adherence to epithelial cells when compared to the wild-type strain. In the absence of host cells, the NafA deficient mutant was more aggregative than the wild-type strain. The in vivo role of NafA in sepsis was studied in a murine model of meningococcal disease. Challenge with the NafA deficient mutant resulted in lower bacteremia levels and mortality when compared to the wild-type strain. The present study reveals that meningococcal NafA is an anti-aggregation factor with strong impact on the disease outcome. These data also suggest that appropriate bacterial auto-aggregation is controlled by both aggregation and anti-aggregation factors during Neisseria infection in vivo. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T01:01:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-487c2ef0fdc942eab2ff81722a99d671 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T01:01:04Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-487c2ef0fdc942eab2ff81722a99d6712022-12-22T00:43:44ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-01-0167e2174910.1371/journal.pone.0021749NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation.Asaomi KuwaeHong SjölinderJens ErikssonSara ErikssonYao ChenAnn-Beth JonssonBacterial auto-aggregation is a critical step during adhesion of N. meningitidis to host cells. The precise mechanisms and functions of bacterial auto-aggregation still remain to be fully elucidated. In this work, we characterize the role of a meningococcal hypothetical protein, NMB0995/NMC0982, and show that this protein, here denoted NafA, acts as an anti-aggregation factor. NafA was confirmed to be surface exposed and was found to be induced at a late stage of bacterial adherence to epithelial cells. A NafA deficient mutant was hyperpiliated and formed bundles of pili. Further, the mutant displayed increased adherence to epithelial cells when compared to the wild-type strain. In the absence of host cells, the NafA deficient mutant was more aggregative than the wild-type strain. The in vivo role of NafA in sepsis was studied in a murine model of meningococcal disease. Challenge with the NafA deficient mutant resulted in lower bacteremia levels and mortality when compared to the wild-type strain. The present study reveals that meningococcal NafA is an anti-aggregation factor with strong impact on the disease outcome. These data also suggest that appropriate bacterial auto-aggregation is controlled by both aggregation and anti-aggregation factors during Neisseria infection in vivo.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3128610?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Asaomi Kuwae Hong Sjölinder Jens Eriksson Sara Eriksson Yao Chen Ann-Beth Jonsson NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. PLoS ONE |
| title | NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. |
| title_full | NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. |
| title_fullStr | NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. |
| title_short | NafA negatively controls Neisseria meningitidis piliation. |
| title_sort | nafa negatively controls neisseria meningitidis piliation |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3128610?pdf=render |
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