Final answer:
B. pertussis attaches to respiratory epithelial cells using filamentous hemagglutinin and releases toxins like pertussis toxin and tracheal cytotoxin that disrupt cellular functions and damage the cells leading to mucus accumulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium causing whooping cough, utilizes a specialized protein known as filamentous hemagglutinin as an adhesin to attach to the respiratory epithelium. Following inhalation and attachment, B. pertussis secretes various virulence factors, including pertussis toxin (PT) and tracheal cytotoxin, which disrupt cellular signaling and damage the ciliated epithelial cells, respectively. The mucus accumulation that results can support the colonization and growth of B. pertussis and can also lead to secondary infections due to the impaired mucociliary escalator.