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- Title
The fimbrial gene cluster of Haemophilus influenzae type b.
- Authors
Van Ham, S. Marieke; Van Alphen, Loek; Mooi, Frits R.; Van Putten, Jos P. M.
- Abstract
<em>Haemophilus infuenzae</em> infections are preceded by airway colonization, a process facilitated by fimbriae. Here, we identified the complete fimbrial gene cluster of <em>H. influenzae</em> type b. HifA forms the major subunit. HifB, a peripiasmic chaperone, and HifC, an outer membrane usher, are typical assembly genes; their inactivation abolished fimbriae formation. HifD and HifE are putative minor subunits, both participating in fimbriae biogenesis, inactivation of either one drastically reduced fimbriae expression. HifD represents a novel type of fimbrial subunit with lipoprotein characteristics, pointing to a membrane-associated function of HifD. Transcription of all fimbrial genes is coregulated through two clustered promoters. The flanking of the fimbrial gene cluster by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences together with a partial duplication of an adjacent unrelated operon indicated that the cluster was once inserted in the <em>H. influenzae</em> genome as a mobile virulence unit.
- Subjects
HAEMOPHILUS; BRUCELLACEAE; AIRWAY (Anatomy); RESPIRATION; PILI (Microbiology); GENES
- Publication
Molecular Microbiology, 1994, Vol 13, Issue 4, p673
- ISSN
0950-382X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00461.x