STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF PERIPLASMIC PAPD-LIKE CHAPERONES INVOLVED IN ASSEMBLY OF BACTERIAL P PILI

Gram negative bacteria express adhesins that mediate microbial attachment by binding to receptors present in host tissues. Microbial attachment is thought to be a key event in the early stages of most diseases as it allows bacteria to gain a foothold in the host and colonize epithelial surfaces (Hultgren et al., 1996).