The outer membrane protein OlpA contributes to Moraxella catarrhalis serum resistance via interaction with factor H and the alternative pathway.

Summary, in English

Factor H is an important complement regulator of the alternative pathway commonly recruited by pathogens for increased survival in the human host. The respiratory pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis that resides in the mucosa is highly serum resistant and causes otitis media in children and respiratory tract infections in individuals with underlying diseases. In this study, we show that M. catarrhalis binds factor H via the outer membrane protein OlpA. M. catarrhalis serum resistance was dramatically decreased in the absence of either OlpA or factor H, demonstrating that this inhibition of the alternative pathway significantly contributes to the virulence of M. catarrhalis.

• Author: Sara Bernhard; Christophe Fleury; Shanice YC Su; Peter Zipfel; Iris Koske; Therése Nordström; Kristian Riesbeck
• Department/s: Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
• Publishing year: 2014
• Language: English
• Pages: 1306-1310
• Publication/Series: Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Volume: 210
• Issue: 8
• Full text: - 2 MB; Download statistics
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24771863?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiu241
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Topic: Infectious Medicine
• Status: Published
• Research group: Clinical Microbiology, Malmö
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1537-6613