Tissue culture adherence and haemagglutination characteristics of Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis

Margaret Fitzgerald, Susan Murphy, Riona Mulcahy, Conor Keane, Davis Coakley, Thomas Scott

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The haemagglutination and tissue culture adherence properties of 20 isolates of Moraxella catarrhalis obtained from the sputum of elderly patients with lower respiratory tract infections were compared with those of 20 isolates of M. catarrhalis obtained from the nasopharynx of elderly persons colonised by the organism. Eighty percent of isolates from the infected group as opposed to 5% of isolates from the colonised group haemagglutinated human erythrocytes (P<0.001), indicating that the haemagglutinin might be a marker of pathogenicity for M. catarrhalis. There was a significant difference in the adherence to HEp-2 cells of isolates from the infected group in comparison to isolates from the colonised group (P=0.03). Haemagglutination and tissue culture adherence properties were unrelated, indicating that separate adhesin systems are involved. The adherence of M. catarrhalis to HEp-2 cells was unaffected following pronase and trypsin treatment, however, sodium periodate pre-treatment of the bacteria significantly reduced the tissue culture adherence index, indicating that the adhesin by which the bacteria bind to HEp-2 cells may have a carbohydrate moiety. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that adherence of M. catarrhalis to HEp-2 cells was mediated by trypsin-resistant 'tack-/spicule-like' structures protruding from the surface of the bacteria. Copyright (C) 1999 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)105-114
Number of pages10
JournalFEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology
Volume24
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1999

Keywords

  • Adhesin
  • Electron microscopy
  • HEp-2 cell line
  • Hemagglutination
  • Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis
  • Spicule-like structure
  • Tissue culture adherence assay
  • Transmission electron microscopy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Microbiology
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases

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