Little is known about the pathogenesis of lower genital tract gonococcal infections in women. The host and microbial factors involved in the initial encounter between the cervical epithelium and the gonococcus are unclear it is not know where the organism invades or merely attaches to cells of the cervical surface. The specific cell type (squamous versus columnar) with which the bacterial interacts is uncertain. In this proposal, we plan to elucidate the nature of the interaction between the gonococcus and the cervical surface. We would do this by examining cervical secretions and tissues from infected females. We would propose to develop a primary cervical stratified squamous epithelial cell line in order to do real time analysis of the infection process. We would propose to investigate the degree of sialyation of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of gonococci present in secretions of the female genital tract. Our proposal is based on several hypothesis. The first hypothesis is the gonococci can attach and invade the stratified squamous cells of the cervix. The second hypothesis is that LOS of extracellular gonococci in cervical secretions of the infected females are more frequently non- sialylated than the NOS of gonococci from the male urethra. This is important because it may be a factor in enhanced infectivity during sexual exchange. In order to resolve these hypothesis, we propose the following specific aims: 1. Electron, immunoelectron and confocal microscopic analysis of cervical tissue and stratified squamous epithelial cell line and real time analysis of the cervical infection by gonococci. 3. Studies of sialyation of gonococcal LOS in the female genital tract.
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