The Role of Common and Type-specific Pilus Antigenic Domains in Adhesion and Virulence of Gonococci for Human Epithelial Cells Virji, M. and Heckels, J. E.,, 130, 1089-1095 (1984), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-130-5-1089, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 1350-0872, abstract= A panel of monoclonal antibodies with varying pilus specificities ranging from cross-reacting to type-specific has been used to investigate the role of conserved and variable antigenic domains in the adhesion of gonococci to human epithelial cells. The binding of 125I-labelled α pili from strain P9 to buccal epithelial cells was inhibited by three type-specific but not by two cross-reacting antibodies. Four type-specific antibodies inhibited the binding of γ pili while the two cross-reacting antibodies were again without effect. The virulence of the variants P9-2 (α pili) and P9-35 (γ pili) for Chang conjunctiva epithelial cells was similarly reduced only in the presence of relevant type-specific antibodies. These results indicate the importance of variable antigenic domains in the adhesion of gonococci to human epithelial cells., language=, type=