Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #90941

Title: STUDIES TO IDENTIFY FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE ADHERENCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS TO BOVINE MAMMARY EPITHELIAL CELLS

Author
item Worku, Mulumebet
item Guidry, Albert

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/1998
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 adhere to and penetrate mammary tissue, forming deep seated abscesses which cause chronic cases of mastitis that necessitate culling the cow. Microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) on S. aureus mediate adherence to mammary tissue. Recombinant collagen and fibronectin binding MSCRAMMs, an anti-MSCRAMM antibody and mutant strains of S. aureus that expressed or failed to express the fibronectin and/or collagen binding MSCRAMMs were also used to evaluate adherence of S. aureus to bovine mammary epithelial cell monolayers. M60 bound significantly less to collagen than to fibronectin (P<0.05). Collagen binding MSCRAMMs, had no significant effect on adherence (P<0.05). Fibronectin binding MSCRAMMs significantly blocked adherence of S. aureus (P<0.01). Anti-MSCRAMM antibody blocked adherence (P<0.05). Normal rabbit gamma globulin had no effect on adherence (P<0.05). Deletion of the genes for the fibronectin binding MSCRAMM significantly reduced adherence of S. aureus (P<0.05). Deletion of the gene for the collagen binding MSCRAMM had no significant effect (P<0.05) . The fibronectin binding MSCRAMM appeared to play an important role in adherence of S. aureus. These data suggest that recombinant fibronectin binding MSCRAMMs and rabbit anti-MSCRAMM antibody 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.