Question:
Which cell-surface component produced by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is mainly responsible for attachment to host cells?
Which cell-surface component produced by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is mainly responsible for attachment to host cells?
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The structure that lets bacteria stick to surfaces is usually a hair-like appendage.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Lipooligosaccharide
- Pili (fimbriae)
- IgA1 protease
- Outer membrane porin protein
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: The question targets the gonococcal virulence factor used for adhesion.
Step 2: Pili (fimbriae) are hair-like protein appendages of stacked pilin subunits that project from the gonococcal surface. They mediate attachment to mucosal host cells and also help the organism resist phagocytosis.
Step 3: Antigenic and phase variation of pilin lets the gonococcus evade the immune response, which is why repeated infection is possible. The other factors have different roles: lipooligosaccharide (endotoxin) drives inflammation, IgA1 protease cleaves secretory IgA at the mucosa, and Por (porin protein) helps intracellular survival, not initial attachment.
So pili are the main adhesin.
Ref: Jawetz Medical Microbiology, 27e, p.282.
Step 2: Pili (fimbriae) are hair-like protein appendages of stacked pilin subunits that project from the gonococcal surface. They mediate attachment to mucosal host cells and also help the organism resist phagocytosis.
Step 3: Antigenic and phase variation of pilin lets the gonococcus evade the immune response, which is why repeated infection is possible. The other factors have different roles: lipooligosaccharide (endotoxin) drives inflammation, IgA1 protease cleaves secretory IgA at the mucosa, and Por (porin protein) helps intracellular survival, not initial attachment.
So pili are the main adhesin.
Ref: Jawetz Medical Microbiology, 27e, p.282.
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