Open access
Oct 2026
The CUP pilus SMF-1 utilizes a specific antiparallel bundling mechanism to initiate biofilm formation.
Bacterial biofilms enable microbial communities to withstand environmental stress and antibiotic challenge. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an opportunistic pathogen that frequently colonizes cystic fibrosis airways. Its chaperone-usher pathway (CUP) pilus, SMF-1, is essential for biofilm development, but its molecular...
J. L. Fields, Caitlyn C. Sebastian, Hua Zhang et al.
· Cell Reports · 0 citations