ROLES OF PILIN AND PILC IN ADHESION OF NEISSERIA-MENINGITIDIS TO HUMAN EPITHELIAL AND ENDOTHELIAL-CELLS

Pili and pilin antigenic variation play important roles in adhesion of Neisseria meningitidis (MC) to human epithelial and endothelial cells . We recently identified one pilin variant that confers high adhesiven ess of MC to human epithelial cells in culture. However, other factor( s) also play a role in MC adhesiveness, since some nonadhesive variant s of MC strain 8013 are piliated and produce the same pilin variant as adhesive derivatives. PilC1 and PilC2, high molecular weight outer me mbrane proteins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, are proposed to play roles i n pilus assembly. Strain 8013 also contains pilC1 and pilC2; their pro ducts function in a similar if not identical manner in pilus biogenesi s. PilC1 has an additional function in that it also modulates adhesive ness of strain 8013.