Cf. Catani et al., ADHESION OF BOVINE ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI (ETEC) BY TYPE 1-LIKE FIMBRIAE, FEMS microbiology letters, 137(2-3), 1996, pp. 241-245
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STa+) strains were isolated from adu
lt bovine with diarrhea. These strains did not express any known ETEC
specific adhesins. Although hemagglutination with rat and sheep erythr
ocytes was observed in the presence of D-mannose (MRHA), these strains
also showed mannose-sensitive hemagglutination (MSHA) with guinea-pig
erythrocytes. Electron microscopic studies revealed the presence of f
imbria-like structures (provisionally called ''F43ms'') on bacterial c
ells grown at 37 degrees C but not on cells grown at 18 degrees C, How
ever, it was observed by SDS-PAGE that the J-1 strain (F43ms(+)) produ
ces a protein similar to F1 fimbriae, and this strain hybridized with
a DNA probe for F1 fimbriae, Immunogold-labelling techniques indicated
that a rabbit anti-serum is specific for F43ms fimbrial structures, b
ut not for Type 1 fimbriae. The immunofluorescence test carried out wi
th semipurified F43ms on bovine brush borders suggests that the fimbri
a-like structures are responsible for the adhesion to bovine epithelia
l cells.