Crossword clues for pilus
Wiktionary
n. 1 A hair. 2 (context microbiology English) A hairlike appendage found on the cell surface of many bacteria. 3 (cx protein English) A bacterial protein that has several biochemical functions
WordNet
n. any of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal; "there is a hair in my soup" [syn: hair]
hairlike structure especially on the surface of a cell or microorganism
Wikipedia
right|thumb|350px|Schematic drawing of bacterial conjugation. 1- Donor cell produces pilus. 2- Pilus attaches to recipient cell, brings the two cells together. 3- The mobile plasmid is nicked and a single strand of DNA is then transferred to the recipient cell. 4- Both cells recircularize their plasmids, synthesize second strands, and reproduce pili; both cells are now viable donors.
A pilus ( Latin for 'hair'; plural : pili) is a hair like appendage found on the surface of many bacteria. The terms pilus and fimbria (Latin for 'fringe'; plural: fimbriae) can be used interchangeably, although some researchers reserve the term pilus for the appendage required for bacterial conjugation. All pili are primarily composed of oligomeric pilin proteins.
Dozens of these structures can exist on the bacteria. Some bacterial viruses or bacteriophages attach to receptors on pili at the start of their reproductive cycle.
Pili are antigenic. They are also fragile and constantly replaced, sometimes with pili of different composition, resulting in altered antigenicity. Specific host responses to old pili structure are not effective on the new structure. Recombination genes of pili code for variable (V) and constant (C) regions of the pili (similar to immunoglobulin diversity).
Pilus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Pseudococculinidae.
Usage examples of "pilus".
She would be queen, could choose some pliant male as consort-maybe even Blad here-and live out her days in what luxury she could force from the Pili.
His own crew had shown that the vacuum organisms could exchange genetic material through pili, microscopic hollow tubes grown between cells or hyphal strands.
Partem brachii dextri carpo proximum et cutem pectoris circa mamillam dextram rasi, ut notum fieret quanto temporis pili renovarentur.
Malaysia, violence against women had been strictly off limits unless you were Pili Parang, the gang leader.
Pili Parang again, but since Runi was most likely still in jail he would take whatever help he could get.
And if Pili Parang was on Tioman, he would be just the man to find one.
Pili Parang had last seen Strachan, and his life had changed considerably in that time.
He turned in the shallows and there was Pili Parang, sitting on the edge of the beach and drawing patterns in the sand with a stick.
Had he not been so preoccupied, the sound of Pili Parang using the VHF radio might have struck him as odd.
Pili Parang knew Strachan better than most, and in not taking any risks he walked headlong into the trap.
Whether Pili Parang was alive or dead when they hit him, they would never know.
But the tears in her eyes told him that Pili Parang would haunt her dreams for years to come.