Effect of slime on adherence of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from bovineand ovine mastitis

The interactions between slime. Staphylococcus aureus and ovine mammary gla nd epithelial cells (MGEC) were studied in vitro. Suspensions of radiolabel led bacteria incubated with slime significantly increased the ability of S. aureus strains to adhere to a filter. When suspensions of radiolabelled ba cteria were incubated with MGEC treated with trypsin, the ability of slime to improve S. aureus adherence was also shown, indicating that it was not d ependent on cell membrane proteins. The interaction of radiolabelled bacter ia with slime prior to the adherence test with MGEC demonstrated that the a dherence process requires the interaction between slime and bacteria. This interaction is inhibited by anti-slime antibodies. This study provides evid ence that a specific interaction between bacteria coated with slime and MGE C could be a critical part of mammary gland infection. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.