Identification of a<i>Moraxella catarrhalis</i>gene that confers adherence to various human epithelial cell lines<i>in vitro</i>

Abstract

Moraxella catarrhalis is a pathogen of the human airways. We found that expression of the M. catarrhalis gene mcmA by Escherichia coli increases adherence to epithelial cells 100-fold. Furthermore, we discovered that disrupting mcmA decreases M. catarrhalis adherence to laryngeal and lung cells, which are relevant to pathogenesis by the bacterium.