SOME PROPERTIES OF SIALIC-ACID BINDING SYSTEMS IN TRITRICHOMONAS SUISAND TRITRICHOMONAS-FOETUS

Hemagglutination of normal and enzyme-treated red blood cells and its inhibition, in vitro adherence to porcine caecal mucus and kinetic pro perties of neuraminidase were carried out with Tritrichomonas suis and T. foetus. All tested strains adhered extensively to porcine caecal m ucus in vitro and agglutinated human (A(1), A(2), B and O), rabbit, po rcine and hen red blood cells. Different inhibitors were efficacious i n hemagglutination activity (HA) tests using neuraminidase treated and untreated red blood cells. The Scatchard plot showed an independant t ype of cooperativity in porcine strain 41, while in bovine strain KVC- 1, a positive type of cooperativity was observed.