Stephens D S, McGee Z A
J Infect Dis. 1981 Apr;143(4):525-32. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.4.525.
The factors that determine attachment of meningococci predominantly to the mucosa of the nasopharynx rather than to other mucosal surfaces are unknown. Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis from the nasopharynx of carriers and from patients with meningococcal disease were found to be heavily piliated. Isogenic piliated and nonpiliated meningococcal clones were derived from blood and cerebrospinal fluid isolates. Meningococci with pili consistently attached to human nasopharyngeal cells in greater numbers than meningococci without pili. Meningococci treated with trypsin or mechanical shear forces lost pili and exhibited decreased attachment. Attachment of piliated meningococci differed markedly among epithelial cells from different sites. In contrast, nonpiliated meningococci attached equally but in low numbers to all cell types. These data suggest that pili are important mediators of meningococcal attachment. The number and distribution of receptor sites for pili or pili-associated meningococcal ligands differ among human cells and may determine sites of meningococcal colonization.
目前尚不清楚决定脑膜炎球菌主要附着于鼻咽部黏膜而非其他黏膜表面的因素。从携带者的鼻咽部以及患脑膜炎球菌病患者身上分离出的脑膜炎奈瑟菌菌株被发现有大量菌毛。从血液和脑脊液分离物中获得了同基因的有菌毛和无菌毛的脑膜炎球菌克隆。有菌毛的脑膜炎球菌始终比无菌毛的脑膜炎球菌更多地附着于人类鼻咽细胞。用胰蛋白酶或机械剪切力处理过的脑膜炎球菌失去了菌毛，且附着能力下降。有菌毛的脑膜炎球菌在上皮细胞上的附着在不同部位之间有显著差异。相比之下，无菌毛的脑膜炎球菌对所有细胞类型的附着程度相同，但数量较少。这些数据表明菌毛是脑膜炎球菌附着的重要介质。人类细胞上菌毛或与菌毛相关的脑膜炎球菌配体的受体位点数量和分布各不相同，这可能决定了脑膜炎球菌的定植部位。
