Haemophilus Protein F Orthologs of Pathogens Infecting the Airways : Exploiting Host Laminin at Heparin-Binding Sites for Maximal Adherence to Epithelial Cells
Haemophilus influenzae protein F (PF) is an important virulence factor interacting with laminin, an extracellular matrix protein ubiquitously expressed in the respiratory tract. Here we defined PF orthologs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Staphylococcus aureus, bacteria that occasionally colonize and infect the human airways. Despite low sequence homology (48.2%-77.3% similar
