Role of pili in the adherence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to mouse epidermal cells

Abstract

Pili have been demonstrated to be the adhesins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for mouse epidermal cells. The mechanisms of adhesion of P. aeruginosa to mouse epidermal cells was studied by using four mutants derived from a single strain: flagellated and piliated (F+P+), flagellated and nonpiliated (F+P-), nonflagellated and piliated (F-P+), and nonflagellated and nonpiliated (F-P-) mutants. F+P+ and F-P+ bacteria efficiently adhered to mouse epidermal cells, while F+P- and F-P- bacteria hardly adhered to mouse epidermal cells. The number of F+P+ bacteria that adhered to mouse epidermal cells was almost the same as that of F-P+ bacteria. The number of F+P- bacteria that adhered to mouse epidermal cells was almost the same as that of F-P- bacteria. The adhesion of P+ (F+P+ and F-P+) bacteria was inhibited by antipilus serum, while that of P- (F+P- and F-P-) bacteria was not inhibited by antipilus serum. There were no significant differences between the number of bacteria adhering to mouse epidermal cells isolated from normal skin and those adhering to cells isolated from burned skin. Heating of the mouse epidermal cell suspension had no effect on the adhesion of P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that pili mediate the adhesion of P. aeruginosa to mouse epidermal cells and that P. aeruginosa adheres efficiently to mouse epidermal cells despite the loss of cell viability caused by burning.