BINDING-SPECIFICITY OF LACTOBACILLUS TO GLYCOLIPIDS

Lactobacillus, a representative useful bacterium, in the intestinal tr act was found to bind to some specific glycosphingolipids, like the pa thogenic intestinal bacteria. Thin layer chromatography overlay assays using rabbit antiserum against Lactobacillus casei revealed that the bacteria bound to G(A1) and trihexosylceramide strongly, but not to an y gangliosides. The bacteria generally bound to glycosphingolipids hav ing short sugar chains and galactosyl moiety in the non-reducing termi nal. L.casei did not bind to G(M1), but bound to the product after sia lidase treatment, GS(A1). This indicated that sialic acid inhibited th e adhesion of L.casei to tissues. L.casei actually bound nonacid glyco sphingolipids but not acid glycosphingolipids extracted from the small intestinal mucosa of rats. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.