Biomaterial Database

Serotyping Bordetella pertussis strains. 1989

A Robinson, and L A Ashworth, and L I Irons

Division of Biologics and Pathology, PHLS Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.

The serotyping scheme for Bordetella pertussis, developed in the 1950s, depends on the presence or absence of various strains of three major agglutinogens, two of which have been shown to be fimbrial proteins, and several minor agglutinogens, the biochemical nature of which is unknown. This article reviews the reasons for the confusion which has recently arisen over the nomenclature of the serotype antigens and proposes a simplified serotyping scheme based on the fimbrial components.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010861	Fimbriae, Bacterial	Thin, hairlike appendages, 1 to 20 microns in length and often occurring in large numbers, present on the cells of gram-negative bacteria, particularly Enterobacteriaceae and Neisseria. Unlike flagella, they do not possess motility, but being protein (pilin) in nature, they possess antigenic and hemagglutinating properties. They are of medical importance because some fimbriae mediate the attachment of bacteria to cells via adhesins (ADHESINS, BACTERIAL). Bacterial fimbriae refer to common pili, to be distinguished from the preferred use of "pili", which is confined to sex pili (PILI, SEX).	Bacterial Fimbriae,Bacterial Pili,Common Fimbriae,Common Pili,Pili, Bacterial,Pili, Common,Bacterial Fimbria,Bacterial Pilus,Common Fimbria,Common Pilus,Fimbria, Bacterial,Pilus, Bacterial,Fimbria, Common,Fimbriae, Common,Pilus, Common
D001886	Bordetella pertussis	A species of gram-negative, aerobic bacteria that is the causative agent of WHOOPING COUGH. Its cells are minute coccobacilli that are surrounded by a slime sheath.	Bacterium tussis-convulsivae,Haemophilus pertussis,Hemophilus pertussis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000371	Agglutination	The clumping together of suspended material resulting from the action of AGGLUTININS.
D012703	Serotyping	Process of determining and distinguishing species of bacteria or viruses based on antigens they share.	Serotypings