GLYCOCONJUGATES AS COMPONENTS OF RECEPTORS FOR BORDETELLA-AVIUM ON THE TRACHEAL MUCOSA OF TURKEYS

Bordetella avium is an important respiratory tract pathogen of turkeys . In common with other pathogenic bordetellae, B avium manifests a tis sue tropism for cilia of the respiratory tract epithelium. To determin e the molecular characteristics of the host cell receptors for B avium , we used hemagglutination and in vivo adherence assays. Carbohydrates , mucus, sialic acid-specific lectin, and other glycoconjugates were e valuated for their ability to competitively inhibit binding of B avium to host cells. The gangliosides, GD(1a) and GT(1b), completely inhibi ted hemagglutination, whereas N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) pa rtially inhibited hemagglutination. Adherence to turkey tracheal mucos a in vivo was significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited by GD(1a) and GT(1b) gangliosides, N-acetylneuraminic acid, bovine submaxillary mucin, and horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) lectin. Treatment of the tracheal mucosa with neuraminidase also inhibited adherence of B avium. We conc lude that N-acetylneuraminic acid and the gangliosides, GD(1a) and GT( 1b), may be important components of the tracheal mucosa receptor for B avium in turkeys.