PapB Family Regulators as Master Switches of Fimbrial Expression

Akrami, Fariba; Jamali, Hossein; Kodori, Mansoor et Dozois, Charles M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4832-3936 (2025). PapB Family Regulators as Master Switches of Fimbrial Expression Microorganisms , vol. 13 , nº 8. pp. 1-17. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms13081939.

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Résumé

Some bacterial species within the Enterobacteriaceae family possess different types of fimbrial (pili) adhesins that promote adherence to cells and colonization of host tissues. One of the well-characterized fimbrial systems is the pap operon, which encodes P fimbriae, a key virulence factor in urinary and systemic infections. One of the key regulators of P fimbriae is the transcriptional regulator PapB which plays a pivotal role as a master switch, not only by directing phase-variable expression of its own operon but also by influencing expression of heterologous fimbrial systems. This review explores the structural organization, biogenesis, and multi-tiered regulatory control of P fimbriae, with emphasis on PapB and homologous regulatory proteins such as SfaB, FocB, PixB, and PefB. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses reveal that regulators belonging to the PapB family are evolutionarily conserved across pi-fimbrial systems and also regulate other types of fimbriae. These regulators respond to epigenetic changes, host-derived signals, and global transcriptional cues to control levels of production of specific fimbriae in a bacterial population to dynamically modulate bacterial adhesion in different environmental niches. Optimally, understanding these mechanisms could lead to novel approaches to perturb PapB-family proteins and abrogate production of some types of fimbriae as a targeted strategy to prevent bacterial infections dependent on adherence mediated by PapB family regulators.

Type de document:	Article
Informations complémentaires:	Grants and funding RGPIN-2025-07045/Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Mots-clés libres:	Escherichia coli; PapB-like regulator; Salmonella enterica; bacterial adhesion; fimbriae; phase variation; pili
Centre:	Centre INRS-Institut Armand Frappier
Date de dépôt:	08 juin 2026 20:13
Dernière modification:	08 juin 2026 20:13
URI:	https://espace.inrs.ca/id/eprint/16644

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