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The interaction of naturally elaborated blebs from serum‐susceptible and serum‐resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae with normal human serum
Author(s) -
Pettit Robin K.,
Judd Ralph C.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1992.tb01522.x
Subject(s) - neisseria gonorrhoeae , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacterial outer membrane , antibody , antigen , strain (injury) , serum concentration , cell membrane , virology , cell , immunology , escherichia coli , biochemistry , gene , anatomy , endocrinology
Summary We studied the interaction of normal human serum immunoglobulins with outer‐membrane bleb antigens of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonococcal 68000 Dalton and Lip (H.8 antigen) outer‐membrane proteins were recognized by normal human serum immunoglobulins in blebs from serum‐resistant strains, but not in blebs from serum‐susceptible strains. The addition of blebs from a serum‐resistant strain to bactericidal assays resulted in significantly greater inhibition of serum killing than the addition of blebs from a serum‐susceptible strain. Our results indicate that blebs from two serum‐resistant gonococcal strains have an enhanced ability to bind and remove cell‐targeted bactericidal factors, and that outer‐membrane bleb‐bing may contribute to serum resistance.