Cholesterol rich domains are involved in Filamentous hemagglutinin mediated attachment of Bordetella pertussis to epithelial cells

LAMBERTI, Y.; ALVAREZ HAYES, J; RODRIGUEZ, ME

Rosario

Congreso; V Congreso Argentino de Microbiologia General; 2008

Sociedad Argentina de Microbiologia General

B. pertussis (Bp) is the etiologic agent of whooping cough, a reemerging infectious disease. Adhesion to respiratory epithelial cells is a central phenomenon in the pathogenesis of B. pertussis. Although the principal bacterial adhesins involved in B. pertussis interaction are fairly characterized, host cell receptors that binds B. pertussis has remained elusive. Previous work of our group indicate that cholesterol sequestration of the plasma membrane affeect B. pertussis attachment to epithelial cells suggesting that cholesterol rich domains, called lipid rafts, are involved in B. pertussis interaction with these cells. An increasing number of pathogens seem to use these domains as initial attachment platforms as well as a site for gaining entry and remain viable inside the cells. Accordingly, we recently found that lipid rafts plays a crucial role in B. pertussis uptake and survival within neutrophils. We here confirm investigate the role of FHA, reported critical for B. pertussis adhesion to epithelial cells, in B. pertussis interaction  with  cholesterol  rich domains.