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Appl. Environ. Microbiol., Jul 1995, 2707-2712, Vol 61, No. 7
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Biochemical Characterization and Agglutinating Properties of Xenorhabdus nematophilus F1 Fimbriae

N Moureaux, T Karjalainen, A Givaudan, P Bourlioux and N Boemare
Laboratoire de Pathologie Comparee, Universite Montpellier II, Institut de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (URA 1184), 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, and Laboratoire de Microbiologie Industrielle, Universite Paris Sud, Faculte de Pharmacie, 92290 Chatenay Malabry, France

Xenorhabdus spp., entomopathogenic bacteria symbiotically associated with nematodes of the family Steinernematidae, occur spontaneously in two phases. Only the phase I variants of Xenorhabdus nematophilus F1 expressed fimbriae when the bacteria were grown on a solid medium (nutrient agar; 24 and 48 h of growth). These appendages were purified and characterized. They were rigid, with a diameter of 6.4 (plusmn) 0.3 nm, and were composed of 16-kDa pilin subunits. The latter were synthesized and assembled during the first 24 h of growth. Phase II variants of X. nematophilus did not possess fimbriae and apparently did not synthesize pilin. Phase I variants of X. nematophilus have an agglutinating activity with sheep, rabbit, and human erythrocytes and with hemocytes of the insect Galleria mellonella. The purified fimbriae agglutinated sheep and rabbit erythrocytes. The hemagglutination by bacteria and purified fimbriae was mannose resistant and was inhibited by porcine gastric mucin and N-acetyl-lactosamine. The last sugar seems to be a specific inhibitor of hemagglutination by X. nematophilus.

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