Attachment of Corynebacterium renale to tissue culture cells by the pili

One or more cells of Corynebacterium renale strains (serologic types, I, II and III), which possessed numerous pili, frequently were attached to BHK-21 cells, primary dog kidney cells, and primary rabbit kidney cells. The percentage of the cultured cells to which C renal cells were attached was about 70%. The percentage was less with cells of C renale possessing fewer pili, around 30%. After C renale was treated with the homologous anti-pili serum, the percentage of BHK-21 cells to which bacterial cells were attached was even less (22%). In electron micrographs, the pili of C renale were observed to attach themselves to the membranes of BHK-21 cells. The adhesive property of the pili of C renale to tissue culture cells was thus demonstrated.