The F-factor allows the donor to produce a thin, tubelike structure called a pilus, which the donor uses to contact the recipient. The pilus then draws the two bacteria together, at which time the ...

long thin protein fibers on the bacterial surface that end in adhesins that can bind receptors on the cells of the intestinal ...

long thin protein fibers on the bacterial surface that end in adhesins that can bind receptors on the cells of the intestinal epithelium. We found that this pilus binding significantly increases ...