The Respiratory PathogenMoraxella catarrhalisBinds to Laminin via Ubiquitous Surface Proteins A1 and A2
Open Access
- 15 August 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in The Journal of Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 194 (4) , 493-497
- https://doi.org/10.1086/505581
Abstract
Moraxella catarrhalis is one of the leading causes of exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present article, we show that moraxella (n=15) binds to the major basement-membrane glycoprotein laminin, which is thickened in the airways of smokers. Using clinical strains of M. catarrhalis and their corresponding ubiquitous surface protein (Usp) A1/A2 mutants, we demonstrate that UspA1 and UspA2 are important for the laminin interaction. Binding assays with recombinant proteins demonstrated that the binding regions are localized within the N-terminal fragments, where both proteins form a globular head. Thus, UspA1/A2–dependent interactions with laminin might promote bacterial adhesion, particularly in smokers with COPDKeywords
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