Conjugative pili allow for the transfer of DNA between bacteria, in the process of bacterial conjugation. They are sometimes called "sex pili", in analogy to sexual reproduction, because they allow for the exchange of genes via the formation of "mating pairs".

2011年9月6日 · Here we show that PilA binds collagen, which promotes GBS interaction with the α 2 β 1 integrin resulting in activation of host chemokine expression and neutrophil recruitment during infection....

2023年7月14日 · Acidovorax citrulli, the causative agent of bacterial fruit blotch, can be divided into two main groups based on factors such as pathogenicity and host species preference. PilA is an important structural and functional component of type IV pili (T4P).

2021年9月1日 · Here we show that Geobacter sulfurreducens binds PilA-N to PilA-C to assemble heterodimeric pili, which remain periplasmic under nanowire-producing conditions that require extracellular...

Type IV pili (T4P) are bacterial appendages composed of protein subunits, called pilins, noncovalently assembled into helical fibers. T4P are essential, in many bacterial species, for processes as diverse as twitching motility, natural competence, biofilm or microcolony formation, and host cell adhesion.

Type IV pili (T4P) are surface-exposed fibers that mediate many functions in bacteria, including locomotion, adherence to host cells, DNA uptake (competence), and protein secretion and that can act as nanowires carrying electric current.

In this review we focus on one of the longest studied and best understood pilus systems, the chaperone/usher assembled pili of Gram-negative bacteria, along with the newest pilus system to be described, the sortase-assembled pili of Gram-positive bacteria.

2024年1月1日 · Pili define filamentous protein organelles that are present on the cell surfaces of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. They are also known as fimbriae consisting of polymeric, rigid protein subunits.

P. aeruginosa is an aerobic and electrochemically active bacterium. Its T4P have been known to be responsible for surface attachment, twitching motility and biofilm formation. Here, we show that PaT4P can be highly conductive while assembled by a truncated P. aeruginosa PilA (PaPilA) containing only N-terminus 61 amino acids.

2020年5月1日 · Pili are proteinaceous hair-like appendages that offer bacteria a wide range of functional adaptations. Especially in the human gut, which is colonized by large bacterial communities, pili can be crucial for adhesion to host cells and molecules.