COMPARISON OF HELICOBACTER-MUSTELAE AND HELICOBACTER-PYLORI ADHESION TO EUKARYOTIC CELLS IN-VITRO

Background & Aims: Bacterial adhesion to mucosal surfaces is an import ant pathogenic mechanism for Helicobacter-induced gastritis. The aims of this study were to compare binding of selected Helicobacter mustela e and Helicobacter pylori strains to lipids extracted from HEp-2, Chin ese hamster ovary, human embryonic lung cells, and ferret gastrointest inal tissues as well as to intact tissue culture cells and to analyze the fatty acids of the receptor. Methods: Thin-layer chromatography ov erlay binding and a receptor-based immunoassay detected adhesion of ba cteria to commercial lipids and to individual species within the lipid extracts. H. mustelae binding to tissue culture cells was performed b y whole cell bacterial adhesion assay. Results: H. mustelae and H. pyl ori both bound to phosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylethanol amine. Adhesion of H. mustelae to intact eukaryotic cells correlated w ith the amount of phosphatidylethanolamine. Binding of helicobacters w as greater to lipids derived from ferret antrum compared with colon (P < 0.05). Biochemical analysis suggested that heterogeneity in fatty a cid composition of phosphatidylethanolamine could influence the degree of Helicobacter binding. Conclusions: Adhesion of Helicobacter strain s correlates with the quantity of phosphatidylethanolamine present in the epithelial cell and with the differences in the fatty acid profile of the lipid.