The filamentous haemagglutinin adhesin (FHA) is a large, filamentous

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

that serves as a dominant attachment factor for adherence to host

ciliated The cilium, plural cilia (), is a membrane-bound organelle found on most types of eukaryotic cell, and certain microorganisms known as ciliates. Cilia are absent in bacteria and archaea. The cilium has the shape of a slender threadlike project ...

epithelial cells Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercell ...

of the respiratory tract, called

respiratory epithelium Respiratory epithelium, or airway epithelium, is a type of ciliated columnar epithelium found lining most of the respiratory tract as respiratory mucosa, where it serves to moisten and protect the airways. It is not present in the vocal cords o ...

. It is associated with

biofilm A biofilm comprises any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular ...

formation and possesses at least four binding domains which can bind to different cell receptors on the epithelial cell surface. One notable bacterium that produces filamentous haemagglutinin adhesin is ''

Bordetella pertussis ''Bordetella pertussis'' is a Gram-negative, aerobic, pathogenic, encapsulated coccobacillus of the genus ''Bordetella'', and the causative agent of pertussis or whooping cough. Like '' B. bronchiseptica'', ''B. pertussis'' is motile and expre ...

'', which uses this protein as a

virulence factor Virulence factors (preferably known as pathogenicity factors or effectors in plant science) are cellular structures, molecules and regulatory systems that enable microbial pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa) to achieve the following ...

References

Bacterial proteins Whooping cough Virulence factors {{protein-stub

See also

References