This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by St Geme, J W Articles by Falkow, S Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by St Geme, J W, 3rd Articles by Falkow, S

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1991 October; 59(10): 3366-3371

Surface structures and adherence properties of diverse strains of Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, California 94305-5402.

ABSTRACT

Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius is an important cause of conjunctivitis and has recently been associated with Brazilian purpuric fever (BPF), a fulminant systemic disease of children. To gain insight into the bacterial factors involved in the pathogenesis of this disease, we investigated the surface structures and adherence properties of eight different strains of H. influenzae biogroup aegyptius, including both BPF and non-BPF isolates. All eight strains were able to express long peritrichous pili similar to those observed in H. influenzae. As in H. influenzae, piliation correlated with colony binding of human erythrocytes. However, two strains were capable of hemagglutination in the absence of pili; in these strains, hemagglutination was insensitive to protease treatment, suggesting a nonproteinaceous hemagglutinin. All strains possessed short, thin, surface fibers distinct from long pili and demonstrated efficient attachment to cultured human conjunctival cells. Attachment to conjunctival cells occurred independently of long pili or a capacity for hemagglutination.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Smoot, L. M., Franke, D. D., McGillivary, G., Actis, L. A. (2002). Genomic Analysis of the F3031 Brazilian Purpuric Fever Clone of Haemophilus influenzae Biogroup Aegyptius by PCR-Based Subtractive Hybridization. Infect. Immun. 70: 2694-2699 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Krasan, G. P., Cutter, D., Block, S. L., St. Geme, J. W. III (1999). Adhesin Expression in Matched Nasopharyngeal and Middle Ear Isolates of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae from Children with Acute Otitis Media. Infect. Immun. 67: 449-454 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mhlanga-Mutangadura, T., Morlin, G., Smith, A. L., Eisenstark, A., Golomb, M. (1998). Evolution of the Major Pilus Gene Cluster of Haemophilus influenzae. J. Bacteriol. 180: 4693-4703 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Read, T. D., Satola, S. W., Opdyke, J. A., Farley, M. M. (1998). Copy Number of Pilus Gene Clusters in Haemophilus influenzae and Variation in the hifE Pilin Gene. Infect. Immun. 66: 1622-1631 [Abstract] [Full Text]