| Popis: |
Microbial adhesion to host tissues is the initial event in the pathogenesis of most infections and, as a such, is an attractive target for the development of new antimicrobial therapeutics. Fibronectin (Fn) is a multifunctional glycoprotein present in soluble form in plasma and other body fluids and in insoluble form in extracellular matrices (ECM) and basement membranes (Mosher, 1989; Hynes, 1990). Since it binds specifically to a variety of receptors and substrates molecules, many bacterial pathogens including staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Treponema pallidum, mycobacteria and streptococci have exploited the binding properties of Fn to acquire a mechanism for adherence, colonization and subsequent invasion of host tissues (Patti et al., 1994). Thus, an understanding of the molecular details of bacteria-Fn interactions will not only provide considerable insight to the pathogenesis of many bacterial diseases, but will also serve as a powerful model system for structural and functional analyses of Fn itself. |
