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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #89040
Title: STUDIES TO IDENTIFY FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE ADHERENCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS TO BOVINE MAMMARY EPITHELIAL CELLS

Author
item Worku, Mulumebet
item Guidry, Albert
item PATTI, J - TEXAS A&M

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of the $2 billion loss due to mastitis in dairy cattle. Staphylococcus aureus have the ability to adhere and penetrate mammary tissue and form deep seated abscesses which cause chronic cases of mastitis that necessitate culling the cow. Microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) on the surface of the S. aureus mediate the adherence to mammary tissue. Recombinant collagen and fibronectin binding MSCRAMMs, an anti-MSCRAMM antibody and S. aureus strains that expressed or failed to express the fibronectin and/or collagen binding MSCRAMMs were used to evaluate the blockage of adherence of live S. aureus to bovine mammary epithelial cell monolayers. The S. aureus strain used did not bind to collagen as well as it did to fibronectin. Collagen binding MSCRAMM, had no significant effect on adherence. Fibronectin MSCRAMMs significantly blocked adherence of the S. aureus. Anti-MSCRAMM antibody was effective in blocking adherence. Normal rabbit gamma globulin had no effect. The recombinant fibronectin MSCRAMMs and the rabbit anti- MSCRAMM antibody appear to have promise as a means of preventing S. aureus adherence. These data suggest that immunization of cows with fibronectin binding MSCRAMMs could aid in the prevention of S. aureus mastitis in cattle.