, ▁are ▁long , ▁per it rich ous , ▁fil ament ous ▁components . ▁They ▁have ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁initial ▁attachment ▁and ▁organization ▁of ▁bio fil ms , ▁as ▁they ▁act ▁as ▁ad hes ins ▁that ▁medi ate ▁invasion ▁and ▁colon ization ▁of ▁host ▁cells ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁P . ▁ging ival is ▁vir ul ence . ▁ ▁Short ▁f imb ria e ▁ ▁Short ▁f imb ria e ▁( M fa 1 ), ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁minor ▁f imb ria e , ▁have ▁distinct ▁roles ▁from ▁long ▁f imb ria e ▁and ▁are ▁character ized ▁to ▁be ▁essential ▁for ▁cell - cell ▁auto ▁aggreg ation ▁and ▁rec ruit ment ▁for ▁micro col ony ▁formation . ▁Short ▁f imb ria e ▁are ▁involved ▁in ▁cell - cell ▁ad hes ion ▁with ▁other ▁dent al ▁comm ens als . ▁It ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁co ad here ▁and ▁develop ▁bio film ▁in ▁conj unction ▁with ▁Stre pt oc oc cus ▁g ordon ii ▁by ▁interaction ▁with ▁S sp B ▁stre pt oc oc cal ▁surface ▁pol ype pt ide . ▁This ▁interaction ▁may ▁be ▁essential ▁in ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁dent inal ▁tub ules ▁by ▁P . ▁ging ival is . ▁ ▁Access ory ▁f imb ria e ▁ ▁F im ▁C , ▁D , ▁and ▁E ▁access ory ▁components ▁associate ▁with ▁the ▁main ▁F im A ▁protein ▁and ▁have ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁binding ▁with ▁matrix ▁prote ins ▁and ▁interaction ▁with ▁C X C - chem ok ine ▁re ceptor ▁ 4 . ▁L oss ▁of