title: Hemagglutination and adhesiveness of toxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from humans.
abstract: Toxigenic strains of Escherichia coli isolated from humans were studied for adherence to human buccal mucosal epithelial cells. The E. coli strains were labeled with 3H-amino acids or fluorescein isothiocyanate. Toxigenic E. coli strains varied in their ability to adhere in the presence of mannose. Of 32 toxigenic strains examined, 52% bound to the buccal cells, whereas none of 8 control strains did so (Mann-Whitney U test, P =0.007). The control strains were nontoxigenic E. coli isolates from humans, enterotoxigenic E. coli isolates from animals, and E. coli K-12 containing the K88 or K99 plasmid; these strains exhibited only background-level adherence in this assay. Among the toxigenic E. coli strains that bound to human buccal mucosal cells, there was no correlation with mannose-resistant hemagglutination (MR-HA) of guinea pig and human erythrocytes. Screening 32 strains, we found the following phenotypes: (i) MR-HA+, buccal adherent; (ii) MR-HA+, buccal nonadherent; (iii) MR-HA-, buccal adherent. Presumably the third group represents strains with another type(s) of surface attachment components not involved in the MR-HA reaction. Our findings indicate that a number of bacterial surface structures can function in MR-HA and buccal adherence.
mesh_terms: D000373:Agglutinins / Q000032:analysis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D004768:Enterotoxins; D006388:Hemagglutinins