Prevalence of coaggregation reactions among chicken lactobacilli.
Interbacterial adherence was frequently encountered among chicken lactobacilli. Fourteen of 45 combinations involving nine adhering strains were shown to be coaggregative. The coadherence mechanism was mediated by complementary heat- and sonication-sensitive cell surface structures. It was shown that intrageneric adherence enabled lactobacilli to maintain higher numbers in fed-batch reactors simulating the gastrointestinal tract. The mechanism of coaggregation can substantially increase the colonization potential of lactobacilli in environments with short residence times.
Vandevoorde
L
L
Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, State University of Gent, Belgium.
Christiaens
H
H
Verstraete
W
W
D000818:Animals; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology*; D005427:Flocculation; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000378:metabolism*