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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI117290
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Find articles by Seifert, H. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Find articles by Wright, C. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Find articles by Jerse, A. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
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Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Find articles by Cannon, J. in: JCI | PubMed | Google Scholar
Published June 1, 1994 - More info
Gonococcal pilin variation is thought to allow immune evasion and change the adherence properties of the pilus. We have examined the process of pilin antigenic variation in human volunteers inoculated with strain FA1090. Our data show that pilin variation occurred throughout the process of infection, that at each time sampled after inoculation multiple pilin variants were present, and that later pilin variants appear to be recombinants between previously expressed genes and the silent storage pilin copies. Thus, during infection a large repertoire of proteins are available to the population to help avoid immune responses, to provide pili with varying functions, and to transmit to a new host.