(exam 2) ch 15 microbial mechanisms of pathogenicity Flashcards
What is the function of a capsule?
it increases virulence because the chemical nature of the capsules appears to prevent the phagocytic cell from adhering to the bacterium. This impairs phagocytosis.
_________ is the ability to cause disease (by overcoming defenses of host)
pathogeniticy
pathogenicity is ___________
the ability to cause disease (by overcoming defenses of host)
_____________ is the degree of pathogenicity
virulence
What happens when microbes overpower the host defenses?
disease results!
in order to cause disease, pathogens must do what 5 things?
- gain access to host
- adhere to host tissue
- penetrate or evade host defenses
- damage host tissues
- accumulate waste products
pathogens can gain entrance to the human body and other hosts through several avenues which are called ____________.
portals of entry
what are three portals of entry in which pathogens can enter a host?
1) Mucous membranes= typically through respiratory and gastrointestinal tract
2) Skin
3) Parenteral route= deposited directly into tissues when barriers are penetrated
(Punctures, injections, bites, etc.)
How does the portal of entry relate to the occurrence of disease?
pathogens have a preferred portal of entry that is a pre-requisite for them being able to cause disease. For ex, Salmonella typhi causes typhoid fever if swallowed (preferred route). If it is rubbed on skin, no problems occur.
How does the # of invading microorganisms relate to the likelihood of disease?
the more the merrier…more pathogens means increased likelihood of disease
How can you express the virulence of a microbe?
ID50 “infectious dose for 50% of a sample population”
How can you express the potency of a toxin?
LD50 “lethal dose for 50% of a sample population”
Almost all pathogens can _______ to host tissues at their portal of entry.
attach themselves i.e. “adherence” or “adhesion”
the attachment between pathogen and host is accomplished by means of ___________.
adhesins or ligands, which are surface molecules (either on Glycocalyx or Fimbriae) on the pathogen that bind specifically to complementary surface receptors on cells of certain host tissues.
What are adhesins or ligands?
surface molecules on pathogen that bind to a host cell and allow for adherence to occur, i.e. attachment of pathogen to host at portal of entry, which is usually a necessary step in pathogenicity)
Where on a microbe may adhesions be located?
mainly on the glycocalyx and fimbriae
this property of adherence and adhesions allow for the formation of what?
biofilms
Capsules are formed out of _____________.
glycocalyx material which surround the cell wall
what is the main function of capsules?
they impair phagocytosis
What do Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Bacillus anthracis and Bordetella, E. Coli and P. aeuroginosa all have in common?
They all can produce a capsule to evade phagocytosis. helps with their virulence!
3 key factors in entrance?
- portal of entry where microbe can colonize (mucous membrane/skin/parenteral routes)
- attachment btw microbes and the host cell (adhesins/ligands)
- the # of microbes; the more the merrier
The cell walls of certain bacteria contain components that contribute to its ability to invade a host/virulance. These 3 cell wall components include:
- M protein
- Opa protein and fimbriae
- waxy lipids (mycolic acid)
I am a cell wall component. I am a protein found on cell surface and fimbriae of Streptococcus pyogenes. I am heat/acid resistant. I mediate attachment of bacteria to epithelial cells of host. I help resist phagocytosis. I contribute to virulence. What am I?
M Protein
Immunity to S. pyogenes depends on the body’s production of an antibody specific to __________
M Protein
What is M Protein?
- cell wall component
- a protein produced by Streptococcus pyogenes that helps with attachment to epithelial cells of host and virulence by resisting phagocytosis
- heat/acid resistant
- found on cell surface and fimbriae
- mediates attachment of the bacterium to epithelial cells of the host (in the resp tract)
- helps bacterium resist phagocytosis
Neisseria gonorrhoeae grows inside human epithelial cells and leukocytes. These bacteria use _________ and _______ to attach to host cells, after which, the host cells take in the bacteria.
Fimbriae and Opa (outer membrane protein)
what is the purpose of the cell wall component Opa protein and fimbriae?
found specifically on Neisseria gonorrhoeae (which is found in humans) and allows for attachment to host cells
What does Mycobacterium tuberculosis have that can increase its virulence?
waxy lipids (mycolic acid) helps resist digestion by phagocytes
___________are bacterial enzymes that clot the fibrinogen in blood.
coagulases
What is coagulase and what is its relationship to virulence?
It is a bacterial enzyme that clots fibrinogen in blood into fibrin. The firbin clot may protect bacteria from phagocytosis, and isolate it from other defenses of the host
__________ are bacterial enzymes that break down fibrin and thus digest clots formed by the body to isolate the infection.
kinases
what are kinases and what are their relation to virulence?
they are bacterial enzymes that break down fibrin and thus digest clots formed by body to isolate infection
__________ is an enzyme that digests polysaccharides that holds cells together- this digestion is associated with blackening tissue in wounds.
Hyaluronidase
What is Hyaluronidase?
enzyme secreted that hydrolyzes (breaks down) polysaccharides; this digestion action helps the microorganism spread from its initial site of infection.
-can also be involved in blackening of tissue at infected wound sites
______ is an enzyme produced that breaks down collagen which is one of the main structural proteins in connective tissues.
collagenase
What does collagenase do?
enzyme produced that
breaks down collagen protein (which forms connective tissue of body organs/muscles/tissues)
__________ are enzymes that can destroy antibodies; defense against adherence of pathogens to mucosal surfaces.
IgA proteases
What are IgA proteases?
enzymes that can destroy IgA antibodies which are produced by the body as a defense against adherence of pathogens to mucosal surfaces (saves bacterial adherence process from immune system of host)
What is antigenic variation? Who does this?
a process by which some pathogens can alter their surface antigens, so by the time the body mounts an immune response against the pathogen, it has already altered its antigens and is unaffected by the antibodies (because the antibodies do not recognize the different surface antigens), which are supposed to bind to the antigens and inactivate/destroy them
__________ is the process by which some pathogens can alter their surface antigens, so when the body mounts its immune response against the pathogen, the antigens are already altered and thus it is unaffected by antibodies.
antigenic variation!
why are biofilm bacteria more resistant to phagocytosis?
because they are shielded by extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of biofilm- and phagocytes (cells of the immune system) have difficulty moving throug EPS