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Studies on the Molecular Mechanisms of Meningococcal Interactions with Human Cells

Towards Anti-Adhesion Measures for the Control of Meningococcal Disease

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Book cover Toward Anti-Adhesion Therapy for Microbial Diseases

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 408))

Abstract

The meningitis-causing organism, Neisseria meningitidis, is a human pathogen with exquisite affinity for the nasopharyngeal tissue of its host where it may exist as a harmless commensal in up to 30% of healthy individuals (DeVoe, 1982). However, in some cases, predisposing factors which are poorly understood, make the host susceptible to further invasion by these bacteria. In such cases, meningococci breach the epithelial barrier of the nasopharynx and disseminate throughout the body via the blood stream. Blood stream invasion is often associated with endothelial necrosis and intra-vascular coagulation which result in skin lesions common in disseminated meningococcal infections. Further tissue infiltration including that of the central nervous system may ensue in untreated cases, with serious outcomes including death. Factors that are implicated in bacterial virulence include polymeric proteins, pili, which are composed of repeating subunits (pilins). Pili extend beyond the capsule which is invariably present on the surface of bacteria isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid (csf) (DeVoe and Gilchrist, 1975). Two structural classes of pili occur in N. meningitidis. Class I pili are similar to gonococcal pili whereas Class II pili produce pilins of smaller Mr (Diaz et al, 1984, Perry et al., 1988, Virji et al., 1989). Both classes of pili occur in clinical isolates but are mutually exclusive within a given strain. Pili undergo phase and antigenic variation as a result of inter- and intra-genomic recombinational events (reviewed Saunders et al., 1994). In addition, two outer membrane proteins, Opa and Opc, may also increase the potential of meningococci to interact with human cells. These proteins are classified as Class 5 proteins or opacity proteins (since they impart opacity to colonies of bacteria expressing the proteins). Opa proteins are a family of antigenically variable proteins and occur in N. meningitidis as well as in the closely related organism N. gonorrhoeae (Cannon, 1994). In meningococci, 3–4 opa gene loci code for related proteins with conserved, semivariable and hypervariable domains. Opc protein is largely invariant and is expressed in all epidemic and highly pathogenic strains other than ET37 complex of serogroup C meningococci and gonococci (Olyhoek et al., 1991, Wang et al., 1993).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oxford Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK

    Mumtaz Virji

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  1. Mumtaz Virji
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Hebrew University — Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

    Itzhak Kahane

  2. Tel Aviv University — Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Itzhak Ofek

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© 1996 Plenum Press, New York

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Virji, M. (1996). Studies on the Molecular Mechanisms of Meningococcal Interactions with Human Cells. In: Kahane, I., Ofek, I. (eds) Toward Anti-Adhesion Therapy for Microbial Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 408. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0415-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0415-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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