SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DEPOSITION OF ADHESIVE EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDE CAPSULE AND FIMBRIAE BY HYPHOMONAS STRAIN MHS-3

Hyphomonas strain MHS-3, a member of a genus of primary colonizers of surfaces immersed in murine water, synthesizes two structures that med iate adhesion to solid substrata, namely, capsular exopolysaccharide a nd fimbriae. Specific stains, gold-labelled lectins, and monoclonal an tibodies, along with transmission electron microscopy of synchronized populations, revealed:fiat both structures are polarly and temporally expressed, The timed synthesis and placement of the fimbriae and capsu le correlated with the timing and locus of MHS-3 adhesion.