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Morphological differences in Neisseria meningitidis pili.
J J Greenblatt1, K Floyd, M E Philipps
1Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Infection and Immunity
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Neisseria meningitidis pili vary between disease and carrier strains. Carrier strains exhibit enhanced adherence and hemagglutination, linked to unaggregated pili, unlike disease strains.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Immunology
Background:
- Neisseria meningitidis causes meningitis and sepsis.
- Pili are surface appendages implicated in bacterial adherence and virulence.
- Distinct pili types may correlate with different pathogenic potentials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pili type and the pathogenic properties of Neisseria meningitidis.
- To compare adherence, hemagglutination, and pili morphology in disease and carrier isolates.
- To explore antigenic similarities and differences in meningococcal pili.
Main Methods:
- Adherence assays using human buccal epithelial cells and cell lines.
- Hemagglutination tests with human erythrocytes.
- Electron microscopy for pili visualization and characterization.
- Immunological characterization using monoclonal antibodies.
Main Results:
- Carrier isolates showed significantly higher adherence to buccal cells and hemagglutination compared to disease isolates.
- Electron microscopy revealed distinct pili morphologies: aggregated (alpha-type) in disease strains and unaggregated (beta-type) in carrier strains.
- Monoclonal antibodies showed differential reactivity with pili from carrier and disease isolates.
Conclusions:
- Neisseria meningitidis possesses distinct pili types with differing morphological, antigenic, and binding properties.
- Pili variation in Neisseria meningitidis correlates with differences in adherence and hemagglutination.
- These findings suggest a role for pili heterogeneity in meningococcal pathogenesis and carriage.