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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization

A Murine Model of Group B Streptococcus Vaginal Colonization

Published on: November 16, 2016

Adhesion forces and coaggregation between vaginal staphylococci and lactobacilli.

Jessica A Younes¹, Henny C van der Mei, Edwin van den Heuvel

¹Human Microbiology and Probiotics, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.

|May 26, 2012

Summary

Probiotic lactobacilli show strong adhesion to pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, facilitating coaggregation and potentially eliminating infections. This offers a promising alternative to diminishing antimicrobial efficacy for urogenital health.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Women's Health
Probiotics

Background:

Urogenital infections are common in women and often treated with antimicrobials facing diminishing efficacy.
Pathogen adhesion and displacement of beneficial lactobacilli (Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii) characterize these infections.
Probiotic administration offers an alternative by reestablishing indigenous lactobacilli.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the hypothesis that strong lactobacilli-pathogen adhesion forces promote coaggregation, leading to pathogen elimination.
To quantify adhesion forces between specific probiotic lactobacilli and Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Main Methods:

Utilized atomic force microscopy to measure bacterial adhesion forces.
Examined coaggregation between lactobacilli and Staphylococcus aureus strains.
Assessed the time course of adhesion bond strengthening.

Main Results:

Adhesion forces between lactobacilli and Staphylococcus aureus (2.2-6.4 nN) were significantly stronger than between Staphylococcus aureus pairs (2.2-3.4 nN).
The probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 exhibited particularly strong adhesion forces (4.0-6.4 nN) after 120 s.
Stronger adhesion correlated with significantly larger coaggregates, forming rapidly upon contact (1-2 minutes).

Conclusions:

Strong lactobacilli-pathogen adhesion is a key mechanism for probiotic efficacy, promoting rapid coaggregation and pathogen displacement.
Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 demonstrates potent anti-pathogen potential through robust adhesion.
Identifying lactobacilli with strong pathogen-binding capabilities is crucial for developing effective probiotic therapies against urogenital infections.