tartuntaadhesio

Tartuntaadhesio refers to the initial adhesion of a microorganism to a host surface that is required for colonization and infection. The term combines tartunta (infection) from Finnish and adhesio (adhesion) from Latin, and is used in some theoretical discussions and model proposals describing early host-pathogen interactions.

Adhesion is mediated by adhesins such as pili, fimbriae, afimbrial proteins, and extracellular polysaccharides. Attachment typically proceeds in stages: reversible contact mediated by nonspecific forces, followed by specific, stronger binding that anchors cells and allows evasion of shear forces and immune defenses.

Different pathogens use tartuntaadhesio mechanisms: bacteria rely on pili; viruses use receptor binding; fungi rely on mannan or lectin-like interactions; the environment and surface properties influence adhesion.

Because adhesion is a critical early step, strategies to block tartuntaadhesio are explored in anti-infective research, including adhesin inhibitors, anti-adhesion therapies, vaccines targeting adhesins, and surface coatings that resist binding.

Studying tartuntaadhesio involves in vitro assays such as adhesion assays on cultured cells or coated surfaces, microscopy, and molecular techniques to characterize adhesins; in vivo models examine colonization dynamics.