A pilus produced by a clinical isolate of Aeromanas caviae (strain CA195) was purified and partially characterised. The M(r) of the pilin was estimated to be 23 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Its N-terminal amino-acid sequence showed that it was closely related to 'bundle-forming' type IV pili purified from other Aeromonas spp. associated with gastro-enteritis and considered to be important intestinal colonisation factors. Bundle-forming pili, often with a polar location, were seen on the surface of strain CA195 which was highly adherent to HEp-2 cells. Removal of surface structures by mechanical means decreased adhesion (by ≤ 50%) suggesting that these pill played some role in HEp-2 cell binding. This pilus type could prove an important marker for enteropathogenic A. caviae which appear to lack other putative virulence factors.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Medical and Health Sciences
Research Group:	Medical Microbiology
Research Field:	Medical Bacteriology
Objective Division:	Health
Objective Group:	Clinical Health (Organs, Diseases and Abnormal Conditions)
Objective Field:	Infectious Diseases
UTAS Author:	Kirov, SM (Associate Professor Sylvia Kirov)
UTAS Author:	Sanderson, K (Dr Kevin Sanderson)
UTAS Author:	Dickson, TC (Professor Tracey Dickson)
ID Code:	14640
Year Published:	1998
Web of Science® Times Cited:	15
Deposited By:	Pathology
Deposited On:	1998-08-01
Last Modified:	2011-08-09
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