Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), defined by their elaboration of heat-labile (LT) and/or heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins, are a common cause of diarrheal illness in developing countries. Efficient delivery of these toxins requires ETEC to engage target host enterocytes. This engagement is accomplished using a variety of pathovar-specific and conserved E. coli adhesin molecules as well as ...

We have recently shown that Salmonella Gallinarum type 1 fimbriae with endogenous mannose-resistant (MR) variant of the FimH protein increase systemic dissemination of S. Gallinarum and colonization of internal organs in comparison to the S. Gallinarum fimH knockout strain or the mutant expressing mannose-sensitive (MS) FimH variant from S. Enteritidis. Elaborating from these studies, we propos...

Introduction Receptors that recognize the Fc-portion of antibodies mediate endocytosis of antibody-containing complexes (ICs) [1,2]. The liver is the main organ for uptake of IC from circulation. Phagocytosis of antibody-coated particles takes place in Kupffer cells (KC) whereas endocytosis of soluble IC takes place both in KC and in liver endothelial cells (LEC) [3,4]. ICs have, in comparison ...

Dendritic cells are potent antigen-presenting cells that express several membrane lectins, including the mannose receptor and DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing nonintegrin). To identify highly specific ligands for these dendritic cell receptors, oligosaccharides were converted into glycosynthons (Os) and were used to prepare oligolysine-based glycoclusters, Os-[Lys(Os)]n-Ala-Cys-...

Dictyostelium discoideum cells appear to be able to recognize particular carbohydrate prosthetic groups at different stages in their life cycle. We therefore used our previously developed model system (consisting of polyacrylamide gels containing putative ligands covalently linked to the polymer) to determine the receptors on these cells capable of recognizing carbohydrates. D. discoideum cells...

To recognise and respond to pathogens, germ-line encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) bind to conserved microbial structures and activate host defence systems, including microbial uptake by phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is a complex process that is instrumental in the control of extracellular pathogens, and this activity is mediated by several PRRs, including a number of C-type lectins. Wh...

Type-1 fimbriae are important virulence factors for the establishment of Escherichia coli urinary tract infections. Bacterial adhesion to the high-mannosylated uroplakin Ia glycoprotein receptors of bladder epithelium is mediated by the FimH adhesin. Previous studies have attributed differences in mannose-sensitive adhesion phenotypes between faecal and uropathogenic E. coli to sequence variati...

Prokineticin receptors, PKR1 and PKR2 (provisional nomenclature as recommended by NC-IUPHAR [26]) respond to the cysteine-rich 81-86 amino-acid peptides prokineticin-1 (also known endocrine gland-derived vascular endothelial growth factor, mambakine) prokineticin-2 (protein Bv8 homologue). An orthologue of PROK1 from black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) venom, intestinal toxin 1 (MIT1, [71]) is ...