Localization of antigenic determinants on P-fimbriae of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Construction and analysis of mutations in the hypervariable regions of the F71, F9 and F11 fimbrillin genes are described. The results show that mutations in the hypervariable regions of the fimbrillin can be made without abolishing the ability of these fimbrillins to assemble into filaments. The mutant fimbriae show binding patterns with specific monoclonal antibodies that differed from those of the corresponding wild-type fimbriae. These results confirm that antigenic determinants of the P-fimbriae are, at least partly, located in the hypervariable regions, and suggest that more than one antigenic determinant is involved in the F71 and F11 specificity.