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 Gilsdorf, J R Articles by Bakaletz, L O Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gilsdorf, J R Articles by Bakaletz, L O

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1992 February; 60(2): 374-379

Comparison of hemagglutinating pili of Haemophilus influenzae type b with similar structures of nontypeable H. influenzae.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0244.

ABSTRACT

Thirty-eight clinical isolates of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae were tested for the presence of hemagglutinating pili similar to those of H. influenzae type b (Hib) that mediate buccal epithelial cell adherence. Four endogenously hemagglutinating (HA+) strains were identified, and eight additional HA+ variants were obtained from HA- strains by erythrocyte enrichment. All 12 HA+ nontypeable H. influenzae isolates bound antisera directed against denatured pilins of Hib, but none bound antisera against assembled native pili of Hib. In erythrocyte- and buccal-cell-binding assays, HA+ nontypeable H. influenzae binding was reduced compared with HA+ Hib binding and was not significantly different from HA- nontypeable H. influenzae binding. Both HA- and HA+ nontypeable H. influenzae binding was increased over binding of HA- Hib. HA+ nontypeable H. influenzae strains agglutinated adult erythrocytes that possess the Anton antigen, which is thought to be the receptor for Hib pili, and did not agglutinate cord or Lu(a-b-) dominant erythrocytes, which lack the Anton antigen. Electron microscopy of HA- and HA+ variants of three nontypeable H. influenzae strains showed few or no surface appendages on the HA- organisms, but piluslike structures were seen on many organisms from two HA+ nontypeable H. influenzae strains and on a few organisms from one strain. Thus, nontypeable H. influenzae appears to possess structures that are immunologically similar to the pilins that make up the hemagglutinating pili of Hib. However, nontypeable H. influenzae appears to also possess mechanisms for erythrocyte and buccal cell adherence that are not directly correlated with the presence of a hemagglutinating pilus.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• McCrea, K. W., Xie, J., LaCross, N., Patel, M., Mukundan, D., Murphy, T. F., Marrs, C. F., Gilsdorf, J. R. (2008). Relationships of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Strains to Hemolytic and Nonhemolytic Haemophilus haemolyticus Strains. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 406-416 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Xie, J., Juliao, P. C., Gilsdorf, J. R., Ghosh, D., Patel, M., Marrs, C. F. (2006). Identification of New Genetic Regions More Prevalent in Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Otitis Media Strains than in Throat Strains. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 4316-4325 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pettigrew, M. M., Foxman, B., Marrs, C. F., Gilsdorf, J. R. (2002). Identification of the Lipooligosaccharide Biosynthesis Gene lic2B as a Putative Virulence Factor in Strains of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae That Cause Otitis Media. Infect. Immun. 70: 3551-3556 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pettigrew, M. M., Foxman, B., Ecevit, Z., Marrs, C. F., Gilsdorf, J. (2002). Use of Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus Typing, and Automated Ribotyping To Assess Genomic Variability among Strains of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 660-662 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clemans, D. L., Bauer, R. J., Hanson, J. A., Hobbs, M. V., St. Geme, J. W. III, Marrs, C. F., Gilsdorf, J. R. (2000). Induction of Proinflammatory Cytokines from Human Respiratory Epithelial Cells after Stimulation by Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae. Infect. Immun. 68: 4430-4440 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• van Schilfgaarde, M., van Ulsen, P., Eijk, P., Brand, M., Stam, M., Kouame, J., van Alphen, L., Dankert, J. (2000). Characterization of Adherence of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae to Human Epithelial Cells. Infect. Immun. 68: 4658-4665 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chang, C.-C., Gilsdorf, J. R., DiRita, V. J., Marrs, C. F. (2000). Identification and Genetic Characterization of Haemophilus influenzae Genetic Island 1. Infect. Immun. 68: 2630-2637 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gousset, N., Rosenau, A., Sizaret, P.-Y., Quentin, R. (1999). Nucleotide Sequences of Genes Coding for Fimbrial Proteins in a Cryptic Genospecies of Haemophilus spp. Isolated from Neonatal and Genital Tract Infections. Infect. Immun. 67: 8-15 [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]  
• McCrea, K. W., St. Sauver, J. L., Marrs, C. F., Clemans, D., Gilsdorf, J. R. (1998). Immunologic and Structural Relationships of the Minor Pilus Subunits among Haemophilus influenzae Isolates. Infect. Immun. 66: 4788-4796 [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]  
• Foxwell, A. R., Kyd, J. M., Cripps, A. W. (1998). Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae: Pathogenesis and Prevention. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62: 294-308 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Clemans, D. L., Marrs, C. F., Patel, M., Duncan, M., Gilsdorf, J. R. (1998). Comparative Analysis of Haemophilus influenzae hifA (Pilin) Genes. Infect. Immun. 66: 656-663 [Abstract] [Full Text]