Open AccessThe adherence of pilate and non-pilate strains of neisseria gonorrhoeae to human and guinea-pig epithelial tissues
Author(s) -
G. M. Tebbutt,
D. R. Veale,
J. G. P. Hutchison,
H. Smith
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
journal of medical microbiology/journal of medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.91
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1473-5644
pISSN - 0022-2615
DOI - 10.1099/00222615-9-3-263
Subject(s) - endocervix , neisseria gonorrhoeae , guinea pig , microbiology and biotechnology , cervix , urethra , fallopian tube , genitourinary system , biology , uterus , epithelium , mucus , medicine , pathology , anatomy , ecology , genetics , cancer , endocrinology
Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae adhered to pieces of human endocervix and appeared to be embedded in the surface mucus. Although a pilate strain adhered better than a non-pilate strain, the difference was small and pilation did not appear to be exclusively responsible for adherence. The pilate strain showed better adherence to pieces of human ectocervix and fallopian tube, but both strains were similarly adsorbed to human bronchus and guinea-pig uterus, cervix, male urethra and bladder, although to different degrees for different tissues. Since gonococci adhered to all tissues examined, their ability to infect human endocervix and fallopian tube and their failure to infect human ectocervix or guinea-pig urogenital tract mucosae are determined by factors other than a capacity for primary adherence to the tissue.