| Primary Identifier | IPR008107 | Type | Family |
| Short Name | Mycoplasma_p48 |
| description | Mycoplasma species are unique amongst bacteria in having very small genomesand lacking cell walls, and are wholly dependent on their host for survival,be it in a symbiotic or pathogenic lifestyle []. Some virulent species canquickly adapt to new environments, and utilise a number of cell surfacemoieties to attach to target cells. Although the most common form ofMycoplasma pathogenesis is respiratory infection, some strains have alsobeen implicated in bacterial vaginosis and rheumatoid arthritis [].An outer membrane lipoprotein, designated P48 on account of its 48kDa molecular weight, was purified from Mycoplasma agalactiae []. It was foundto be a potent differentiation/activation factor of human monocytes, and possesses both immunomodulatory and haematopoietic differentiation activities [, ]. This is believed to aid the bacterium by recruiting humanblood cells to the point of infection, and altering them to allow intracellular invasion by Mycoplasma []. Similar species also use theP48 lipoprotein to invade host cells of sheep and cattle, causing contagious agalactia [].Recently, recombinant studies on the Mycoplasma agalactiaeP48 major surface proteinhave shown that changing key elements at the genetic level decreases the immunomodulatory effects of the gene product []. This may lead to a novel vaccine for Mycoplasma infections. |
