Open AccessM ycoplasma pulmonis V sa proteins and polysaccharide modulate adherence to pulmonary epithelial cells
Author(s) -
Bolland Jeffrey R.,
Dybvig Kevin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2012.02551.x
Subject(s) - mycoplasma , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , biofilm , mutant , polysaccharide , bacteria , gene , genetics , biochemistry
The M ycoplasma pulmonis V sa proteins are a family of size‐ and phase‐variable lipoproteins that shield the mycoplasmas from complement and modulate attachment to abiotic surfaces. Mycoplasmas producing a long V sa protein hemadsorb poorly and yet are proficient at colonizing rats and mice. The effect of the length of the V sa protein on the attachment of mycoplasmas to epithelial cells has not been previously explored. We find that independent of V sa isotype, mycoplasmas producing a long V sa protein with many tandem repeats adhere poorly to murine MLE ‐12 cells compared with mycoplasmas producing a short V sa. We also find that mutants lacking the EPS ‐I polysaccharide of M . pulmonis exhibited decreased adherence to MLE ‐12 cells, even though it has been shown previously that such mutants have an enhanced ability to form a biofilm.