We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Membrane cofactor protein (MCP or CD46) is a cellular pilus receptor for pathogenic Neisseria.
- Authors
Källström, Helena; Liszewski, M. Kathryn; Atkinson, John P.; Jonsson, Ann-Beth
- Abstract
Pili of <em>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</em> and <em>Neisseria meningitides</em> mediate binding of the bacteria to human cell-surface receptors. We found that purified pili bound to a 55- to 60-kDa doublet band on SDS-PAGE of separated human epithelial cell extracts. This is a migration pattern typical of membrane cofactor protein (MCP or CD46). MCP is a widely distributed human complement regulatory protein. Attachment of the bacteria to epithelial cells was blocked by polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies directed against MCP, suggesting that this complement regulator is a receptor for piliated <em>Neisseria</em>. We proved this hypothesis by demonstrating that piliated, but not non-piliated, gonococci bound to CHO cells transfected with human MCP-cDNA. We also demonstrated a direct interaction between purified recombinant MCP and piliated <em>Neisseria</em>. Finally, recombinant MCP protein produced in <em>E. coli</em> inhibited attachment of the bacteria to target cells. Taken together, our data show that MCP is a human cell-surface receptor for piliated pathogenic <em>Neisseria</em>.
- Subjects
PROTEINS; NEISSERIA gonorrhoeae; NEISSERIA meningitidis; CELL receptors; EPITHELIAL cells; IMMUNOGLOBULINS; ESCHERICHIA coli
- Publication
Molecular Microbiology, 1997, Vol 25, Issue 4, p639
- ISSN
0950-382X
- Publication type
Article