Adherence of Fusobacterium necrophorum to Vero cells

The adherence of the anaerobic species Fusobacterium necrophorum to the surface of Vero cells was studied. Adherence between the bacterium and the tissue culture cells was paralleled by the hemagglutinability of F. necrophorum. Treatment of the bacterial cells with lactoalbumin hydrolysate or anti-F. necrophorum-hemagglutinin serum reduced the intensity of the attachment. The purified hemagglutinin bound to the membranes of Vero cells. It lost its adherent property when mixed with the homologous anti-hemagglutinin serum. These observations suggest that the adherence of F. necrophorum to the surface of Vero cells is mediated by the bacterial hemagglutinin.