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EMBARGO BY NATURE,
17:00EDT, Wednesday,November1
For information:
Robin B. Goldsmith
(6t9) ss4-8t34
# 1t0295
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute Solve Structure of X'ibers
that Attach Many Bacteria to Host Cells
La Jolla, CA. November 2, t995 - A team of scientistsat The ScrippsResearchInstitute, led
by John L. Tainer, Ph.D., has succeededin characterizingthe structureof hairlike fibers
responsiblefor the attachmentof many pathogenicbacteriato host cells. Solving the threedimensional structure of the protein, pilin, and the fibers it forms could provide key information
for drug or vaccine design againstthe many different pathogensthat require Type IV pili for host
cell targeting and infection, accordingto Tainer.
He continued, "While this work focuseson pilin from Neisseriagonorrhoeae,the pathogen
responsiblefor gonorrhea,similarities to Neisseriameningitidis, the causeof the often fatal
bacterial meningitis, ffioy lead to a common vaccine for both diseases."
The work was reportedtoday in the journal, Nature, in an article entitled, "Structure of the fibreforming protein pilin at 2.6 A resolution," by Hans E. Parge,Katrina T. Forest,Michael J.
Hickey, Deborah A. Christiansen,Elizabeth D. Getzoff, and John A. Tainer.
Using an advancedbiophysical techniqueknown as x-ray crystallographycombined with other
data, the scientistshave demonstratedhow the protein is likely to assembleand how it assists
-more-
Page2 - TSRI ScientistsSolveStructure of F'ibersthat Attach Many Bacteria to Host Cells
pathogensin avoidingthe body'snormaldefenses.Thehumanbodyproducesantibodiesto fight
bacterialinfection,but certainbacteriahaveevolvedwaysof eludingthosedefenses
by
producingmanyvariantsin the targets,calledantigens,thatthe antibodiesrecognizeandbring
underattack.
The structuresolvedby the TSRI researchgrouprevealsa novelpilin fold andthe structural
basisfor this so-calledantigenicvariationthat allowsNeisseriagonorrhoeae,
the human
pathogenresponsiblefor the mostwidespreadsexuallytransmitteddisease,
to escapethe host
immuneresponse.It providesthe first structurefor anyproteinthatundergoes
directantigenic
variation,a classwhich includesantigensfrom malaria,by replacingor recombiningantigens
exposedto the immunesystem.
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NOTE: A videotape of the assemblyis available upon request.