Haemagglutinating and Adhesive Properties Associated with the K99 Antigen of Bovine Strains of Escherichia coli

Abstract

S U M M A R YThe K99 antigen common to some bovine strains of Escherichia coli caused mannose-resistant haemagglutination of sheep erythrocytes and was shown to be responsible for the attachment of Kgg-positive bacteria to calf brush-border preparations because (i) strains grown at 18 "C did not produce K99 antigen, cause haemagglutination, or attach to brush borders; (ii) a K12 (K99+) recombinant strain showed both haemagglutinating activity and attachment to brush borders whereas, before it received the K99 plasmid, therecipient strain was negative in both respects; and (iii) cell-freeextracts of K99 antigen showed haemagglutinating activity and inhibited the attachment of Kgg-positive organisms to brush borders.K99 antigen appears to be a virulence determinant in the pathogenesis of neonatal calf diarrhoea. It is readily demonstrated by haemagglutination and brushborder attachment tests.

The Fimbrial and Non-Fimbrial Haemagglutinins of Escherichia Coli

“…There is now good evidence that the MRE adhesiveness of K88 and K99 strains of E. coli for intestinal epithelium contributes to the enteropathogenicity of the bacteria in pigs (Jones and Rutter, 1972) and calves (Smith and Linggood, 1972;Burrows et al, 1976) and that the MRE adhesiveness of the CF antigen in enterotoxin-producing bacteria of E. coli 0 serogroup 78 contributes to their enteropathogenicity in man . Our findings do not add to this evidence.…”

“…Interest in the haemagglutinating properties of E. coli has been re-awakened by discoveries associating them with the presence of particular K antigens, adhesiveness for intestinal epithelium, ability to colonise the upper intestine, and enteropathogenicity in man (Duguid, 1964;Evans et al, 1975;McNeish .et al., 1975;Evans, Evans and Tjoa, 1977;0rskov and 0rskov, 1977), pigs (Stirm et al, 1967;Jones andRutter, 1972,1974;Hohmann and Wilson, 1975;Isaacson, Nagy and Moon, 1977;Parry and Porter, 1978) and in calves {Burrows, Sellwood and Gibbons, 1976). Because different strains of E. coli may possess one or more kinds of haemagglutinin that require different cultural conditions for their development and different techniques and species of erythrocytes for their demonstration, and because most published studies have been made with only a few strains and a restricted range of tests, we thought it valuable to describe the haemagglutinating properties of a wide range of strains from different serotypes and sources.…”

Complement-independent Adherence of Escherichia coli to Complement Receptors In Vitro

“…Other pili are plasmid mediated. K88 and K99 pili mediate adherence to tissues from animals other than man (16,17). Colonization factor antigen mediates both hemagglutination of human erythrocytes and epithelial cell adherence and is mannose resistant (18).…”

Adherence of Fusobacterium necrophorum to bovine ruminal cells

“…The ability of certain pathogens to attach themselves to mammalian cells appears to be mediated by bacterial pili, haemagglutinin (HG) and capsule (Burrows et al, 1976;Wilson and Collier, 1976;Fader et al, 1979;Tajima et al, 1985). It is thought that Fusobacterium necrophorum colonises the bovine ruminal epithelium, sometimes penetrating into the venous system and thereby infecting the abdominal organs .…”