Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2025

Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
06:04

Antigen-Capture Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Specific Detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Published on: February 24, 2023

2.4K

Vimentin Is an Attachment Receptor for Mycoplasma pneumoniae P1 Protein

Kailan Peng1, Yating Liao1, Xia Li1

  • 1Institute of Pathogenic Biology, Basic Medical School, Hengyang Medical College, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Special Pathogens Prevention and Control, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China.

Microbiology Spectrum
|March 13, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Mycoplasma pneumoniae uses its P1 protein to attach to human cells. This study identifies vimentin as a key cell receptor for P1, clarifying the infection mechanism and offering new treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Protein-Protein Interactions

Background:

  • Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen, with its P1 protein critical for infection.
  • The precise mechanism of P1 protein adhesion to host cells remains incompletely understood.
  • Identifying host cell receptors for M. pneumoniae P1 protein is crucial for understanding pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify host cell proteins that specifically bind to the P1 protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
  • To elucidate the role of identified binding proteins in the adhesion process of M. pneumoniae.
  • To explore potential therapeutic targets for Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections.

Main Methods:

  • Screening for P1-binding proteins using a modified virus overlay protein binding assay (VOPBA) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).
  • Confirmation of interactions using far-Western blotting and coimmunoprecipitation assays.
  • Functional validation through cell adhesion assays, adhesion inhibition assays, and gene silencing (siRNA) or overexpression of candidate receptors in BEAS-2B cells.

Main Results:

  • Vimentin and β-4-tubulin were identified as potential binding partners for the P1 protein's carboxyl terminus (rP1-C).
  • Vimentin, but not β-4-tubulin, was confirmed to interact with rP1-C and is localized on the cell membrane and cytoplasm of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B).
  • Adhesion of M. pneumoniae and rP1-C to BEAS-2B cells was significantly affected by vimentin expression levels, with inhibition observed using vimentin antibodies and decreased adhesion upon vimentin downregulation.

Conclusions:

  • Vimentin acts as a functional receptor for the P1 protein on human bronchial epithelial cells.
  • Vimentin plays a critical role in the adhesion of Mycoplasma pneumoniae to host cells.
  • These findings provide a new perspective on the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae and suggest vimentin as a potential target for therapeutic interventions.
Keywords:
BEAS-2BMycoplasma pneumoniaeP1 proteinreceptorvimentin

More Related Videos

Assays for Studying the Role of Vitronectin in Bacterial Adhesion and Serum Resistance10:55

Assays for Studying the Role of Vitronectin in Bacterial Adhesion and Serum Resistance

Published on: October 16, 2018

8.2K
Following in Real Time the Impact of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in an Acute Mouse Pneumonia Model Using Bioluminescent Bacteria11:32

Following in Real Time the Impact of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in an Acute Mouse Pneumonia Model Using Bioluminescent Bacteria

Published on: February 23, 2014

15.1K

Related Concept Videos

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments01:28

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...
104
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria01:29

Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

Bacterial cells were initially considered simple, randomly organized structures lacking a cytoskeleton. However, the discovery of cytoskeleton homologs in bacteria led to the change of this opinion. Bacterial cytoskeletal filaments regulate the cell shape, cell polarity, cell division, and partitioning of plasmids during cell division. It was later discovered that bacterial cytoskeletal proteins, mainly actin and tubulin homologs, are diverse compared to their eukaryotic counterparts. On the...
3.5K
Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules01:31

Immunoglobulin-like Cell Adhesion Molecules

Immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules or Ig-CAMs are a versatile group of cell surface glycoproteins belonging to the immunoglobulin protein superfamily. Ig-CAMs possess the characteristic immunoglobulin protein domains and other domains such as the fibronectin type III domain. The Ig domains are glycosylated to varying degrees in different Ig-CAMs.
Ig-CAMs exhibit either homophilic binding (to other Ig-CAMs) or heterophilic binding (to other ligands such as integrins). While most Ig-CAMs...
3.3K
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
4.9K
Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria01:10

Intracellular Movement of Viruses and Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria and viruses often comprise a group of highly infectious pathogens that can cause several diseases. Bacterial pathogens include those belonging to the genus Rickettsia responsible for conditions such as rocky mountain spotted fever and the Mediterranean spotted fever; Chlamydia, a genus responsible for a sexually transmitted disease; Coxiella burnetii, an agent responsible for Q fever. Viral pathogens include vaccinia—a poxvirus, and herpes simplex virus—a...
2.9K
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes01:24

Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes

The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
49