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Adherence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells in vitro

M K Chakrabarti1, A K Sinha, T Biswas

  • 1National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Calcutta, India.

FEMS Microbiology Letters
|November 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Kanagawa positive Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains adhere to rabbit cells, unlike most negative strains. Hemolysin and cell surface hydrophobicity did not influence this adherence, suggesting other factors are involved in Vibrio parahaemolyticus adhesion.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a significant cause of seafood-borne gastroenteritis.
  • The Kanagawa phenomenon is a marker for V. parahaemolyticus virulence, often associated with hemolysin production.
  • Mechanisms of V. parahaemolyticus adherence to host cells are not fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of the Kanagawa phenomenon and hemolysin in the adherence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus to rabbit intestinal epithelial cells.
  • To explore the influence of cell surface hydrophobicity on bacterial adherence.
  • To identify potential inhibitory factors of bacterial adhesion.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial adherence assays using rabbit intestinal epithelial cells.
  • Testing the effect of anti-hemolysin antisera and purified hemolysin on adherence.
  • Assessing cell surface hydrophobicity of different V. parahaemolyticus strains.
  • Inhibition assays using fetuin, -mannose, and D-glucose.

Main Results:

  • Kanagawa positive V. parahaemolyticus strains demonstrated significant adherence to rabbit intestinal cells, while most Kanagawa negative strains did not.
  • Adherence was not inhibited by anti-hemolysin antisera, nor was it enhanced by purified hemolysin.
  • Cell surface hydrophobicity was similar between Kanagawa positive and negative strains.
  • Fetuin strongly inhibited adherence, followed by -mannose and D-glucose.

Conclusions:

  • The Kanagawa phenomenon and hemolysin are not the primary determinants of V. parahaemolyticus adherence to rabbit intestinal cells.
  • Bacterial adherence is likely mediated by specific carbohydrate-binding interactions, with fetuin, -mannose, and D-glucose showing inhibitory effects.
  • Further research is needed to identify the specific adhesins and receptors involved in V. parahaemolyticus intestinal colonization.

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