ADHERENCE OF UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM TO HUMAN EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Adherence of Ureaplasma urealyticum cells to eukaryotic cell monolayer s was quantified using the Bertholet assay to monitor ammonia produced from urea by ureaplasma urease. Adherence was abolished by pre-treatm ent of ureaplasmas with HeLa cell extracts and inhibited to varying de grees by pretreatment of the ureaplasmas with N-acetylneuraminic acid, specific antisera and monoclonal antibodies. The data suggest the pre sence of several ureaplasma adhesins, some of which are species- or se rotype-specific and some of which are proteinaceous and antigenic. the serotype-8-specific 96 kDa surface-expressed antigen may be one adhes in. Pre-treatment of HeLa cell monolayers with neuraminidase significa ntly reduced ureaplasma adherence and, using a novel 'immunoblot adher ence assay', ureaplasmas were shown to bind to a number of HeLa cell c omponents, three of which appear to terminate in sialic acid.