E. coli adherence to CER cells infected by vesicular stomatitis virus

Research was carried out on the adherence of a mannose-resistant uropathogenic E. coli strain to CER cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (vsv). A decrease in the bacterial adhesion was noticed during the early phases of viral infection, probably due to a close relationship between cell receptors for VSV and E. coli, both containing glycolipids and phospholipids. In a later phase of viral infection, on the contrary, corresponding to the appearance on the cell surface of newly synthesized viral antigens, bacterial adherence was enhanced. This last observation suggested a possible predisposition of the host to bacterial colonization during renal viral infection.