▁F imb ria e ▁ ▁F imb ria e ▁are ▁append ages ▁involved ▁in ▁cell ular ▁attachment ▁and ▁greatly ▁contribute ▁to ▁vir ul ence ▁and ▁are ▁found ▁on ▁many ▁Gram - negative ▁and ▁some ▁Gram - pos itive ▁b acter ia . ▁ ▁P . ▁ging ival is ▁vir ul ence ▁is ▁heavily ▁associated ▁with ▁f imb ria e ▁as ▁they ▁have ▁been ▁character ized ▁to ▁be ▁key ▁factors ▁in ▁ad hes ion , ▁invasion , ▁and ▁colon ization . ▁F imb ria e ▁are ▁also ▁responsible ▁for ▁invasion ▁of ▁memb rane ▁ves icles ▁into ▁host ▁cells . ▁They ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁bind ▁to ▁cell ular ▁α 5 β 1 ▁integr ins , ▁which ▁medi ated ▁ad her ence ▁and ▁imp a ired ▁the ▁home ost atic ▁controls ▁of ▁host ▁cells . ▁F imb ria e ▁were ▁also ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁associated ▁with ▁mod ulating ▁ β 2 ▁integr in ▁ad hes ive ▁activity ▁for ▁u pt ake ▁by ▁mon ocy tes ▁using ▁the ▁CD 1 4 / TL R 2 / PI 3 K ▁signal ing ▁complex , ▁which ▁may ▁contribute ▁to ▁int rac ell ular ▁ev asion ▁tact ics ▁by ▁P . ▁ging ival is . ▁P . ▁ging ival is ▁has ▁long ▁f imb ria e , ▁short ▁f imb ria e , ▁and ▁access ory ▁components , ▁each ▁of ▁which ▁have ▁distinct ▁functions . ▁ ▁Long ▁f imb ria e ▁ ▁Long ▁f imb ria e ▁( F im A ), ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁major ▁f imb ria e