title: P-antigen-recognizing fimbriae from human uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains.
abstract: P-antigen-recognizing fimbriae (P fimbriae) from four pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli strains and type 1 fimbriae from an E. coli strain and a Salmonella typhimurium strain were purified. The P fimbriae were morphologically similar to type 1 fimbriae. The purified P fimbriae agglutinated neuraminidase-treated human P1 and P2k erythrocytes but not p erythrocytes, which lack all P-blood group-specific glycosphingolipids. However, coating of neuraminidase-treated p erythrocytes with globoside rendered such erythrocytes agglutinable by the P fimbriae. The hemagglutinations were in all instances fully inhibited by the synthetic alpha-D-Galp-(1-4)-beta-D-Galp-1-O-Me glycoside. The binding specificity of the P fimbriae could also be demonstrated by using fimbriae coated onto latex particles and nontreated erythrocytes. It was thus concluded that the P fimbriae recognize and bind to the alpha-D-Galp-(1-4)-beta-D-Galp carbohydrate sequence occurring in the series of P-blood group antigen-specific glycosphingolipids. In contrast to both type 1 fimbriae, all four P fimbriae preparations showed multiple bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antisera were raised in rabbits against the various E. coli fimbriae. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays each one of the antisera to the P fimbriae reacted to titers of log 4 to 7 with both the homologous and the heterologous P fimbriae, but not with the type 1 fimbriae of E. coli. In a reciprocal fashion, the antiserum to the type 1 fimbriae of one E. coli strain reacted only with the homologous type 1 but not with any of the P fimbriae preparations.
mesh_terms: D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006384:Hemagglutination; D006801:Humans; D010127:P Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D010127:P Blood-Group System