In:
mBio, American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 3, No. 4 ( 2012-08-31)
Abstract:
Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) colonizes the nasopharynx of especially young children without any obvious symptoms. However, NTHi is also a major pathogen in otitis media (OM), one of the most common childhood infections. Although this pathogen is often associated with OM, the mechanism by which this bacterium is able to cause OM is largely unknown. Our study addresses a key biological question that is highly relevant for child health: what is the molecular mechanism that enables NTHi to cause OM? We show that isolates collected from the middle ear fluid exhibit increased complement resistance and that the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) structure determines IgM binding and complement activation. Modification of the LOS structure decreased NTHi virulence in a novel NTHi-influenza A virus coinfection OM mouse model. Our findings may also have important implications for other Gram-negative pathogens harboring LOS, such as Neisseria meningitidis , Moraxella catarrhalis , and Bordetella pertussis .
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2161-2129
,
2150-7511
DOI:
10.1128/mBio.00079-12
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Publication Date:
2012
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2557172-2
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