title: Pili and the interaction of Aeromonas species with human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear cells.
abstract: The interaction of differentially piliated Aeromonas strains expressing pili of two broadly different morphologic types (short, rigid (S/R) and/or long, wavy (L/W)) with human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (PMN) was investigated to determine whether host defense cells might exert a selective pressure on pili expression in vivo accounting for the different pili phenotypes of clinical and environmental strains. A majority of Aeromonas veronii biotype sobria strains from water (6/6) and faeces (8/11) readily associated with PMN (> 60% PMN with adherent and/or internalised bacteria), irrespective of their degree, or predominant type, of piliation. Rigid pili of Aeromonas species did not promote interaction with PMN. However, the majority (55%) of strains which interacted well with PMN were adherent to HEp-2 cells. Interaction with PMN is unlikely to be the reason few S/R pili are seen on faecal strains, but it may be a selective pressure on L/W adhesive pili, or other OMP adhesins, resulting in the shedding of strains which have lost critical adhesins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tasmania Clinical School, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kamperman
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kirov
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006384:Hemagglutination; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis