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36 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
The ___ on the surface of bacteria attaches to the host cell receptor
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adhesin
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Give two examples of adhesins
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pili, capsule
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give two examples of host cell receptors
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glycoproteins, glycolipids
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In what four ways does the host respond to adherent organisms?
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-production of antibodies against bacterial surface
- upreg of antimicrobial peptide production by epithelial cells - phagocytosis - shedding/destruction of colonized epithelial cells |
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What are the two techniques used by N. gonorrhoeae to evade host immune system?
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adherence
antigenic variation |
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Give morphology of N. gonorrhoeae
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non-motile
non-sporulating Gram-negative cocci usually seen in pairs with adjacent sides flattened |
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How does Neisseria gonorrhoeae spread?
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direct contact, due to fragility
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What are Neisseria gonorrhoeae major virulence factors?
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adhesins
antigenic variation resistance to MAC of complement |
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What is host range of Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
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humans only
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___ carriers are a major factor in the spread of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
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asymptomatic
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How does Neisseria gonorrhoeae enter body?
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mucous membranes of genitourinary tract
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In males Neisseria gonorrhoeae commonly causes ___
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urethritis (inflammation of urethra)
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In females the primary infection is present in the ___ (Neisseria gonorrhoeae)
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endocervix
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What is one of the major complications of untreated gonorrhea?
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dissemination into uterus and fallopian tubes causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
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___ is a major cause of sterility in women
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PID
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in 3% of cases, Neisseria gonorrhoeae can cause ___
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gonococcal arthritis
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Define ophthalmia neonatorum
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transmission of Neisseria gonorrhoeae into eyes of infants during birth, causing corneal damage and possibly blindness
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How is ophthalmia neonatorum treated?
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silver nitrate or antibiotic eyedrops
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What are the three identification methods for Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
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microscopy (looking for Gram(-) diplococci within neutrophils)
culture (using standard tests) DNA (nucleic acid based test) |
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae pili are polymers of thousands of protein subunits called ___
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PilE proteins (or pilin)
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At the tip of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pili is a protein called ___
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PilC
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What is the function of PilC in Neisseria gonorrhoeae pili?
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adhesin, mediates attachment to genitourinary epithelial cells
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What is responsible for most of the symptoms of gonorrhea?
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inflammatory response
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Opa proteins expressed in colonies of Neisseria gonorrhoeae cause them to appear ___
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opaque
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What do Neisseria gonorrhoeae do after being ingested by epithelial cells?
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They transcytose into subepithelial space, causing inflamation
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Describe the Neisseria gonorrhoeae chromosome
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- one complete copy of pilE
- 10-15 copies of variant-encoding pilin genes (called pilS) - two copies of pilC (pilC1 and pilC2) - 10+ copies of opa genes |
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Describe the pilS genes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae chromosome
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- 10-15 copies
- truncated at 5' end - lacks a promoter region - lacks sequences encoding N-terminal portion of the pilin protein |
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In Neisseria gonorrhoeae, antigenic variation occurs primarily in ___
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The C-terminal region of pilin
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The N-terminal region of Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilin is highly (conserved | variant)
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conserved
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How does antigenic variation occur in Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilin?
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homologous recombination of complete pilE gene with a pilS gene
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What is the PilC protein important for in Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
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proper assembly and maturation of pili
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Neisseria gonorrhoeae mutants lacking Opa genes are different in what way?
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not engulfed by neutrophils. have been implicated with pelvic inflammatory disease.
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Define phase variation
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the process of turning on or off the expression of a particular gene
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What are two drugs to which Neisseria gonorrhoeae is already resistant?
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penicillin and tetracycline
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Do people acquire immunity after infection by Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
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No
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What hampers progress on the vaccine for Neisseria gonorrhoeae?
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extensive antigenic variation of pilin
lack of a suitable animal model |