Adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to human buccal epithelial cells: evidence for two classes of receptors

Abstract

The adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 492c to trypsinized and untrypsinized buccal epithelial cells (BECs) was studied. Kinetic analysis of the adhesion data, employing a Langmuir absorption isotherm, indicated the presence of two classes of binding sites on untrypsinized BECs: a high affinity - low copy number site (apparent association constant (Ka) approximately equal to 1.57 X 10(-8) mL/cell with ca. 29 binding sites/cell) and a low affinity - high copy number class of binding sites (Ka approximately equal to 4.78 X 10(-10) mL/cell with ca. 264 binding sites/cell). The low affinity - high copy number class of sites was found to be trypsin sensitive. A single class of binding sites was found on trypsinized BECs exhibiting a high affinity - low copy number (Ka approximately equal to 3.70 X 10(-7) mL/cell with ca. 31 binding sites/cell). Positive cooperativity in binding of P. aeruginosa strain 492c to the low affinity - high copy number class site on untrypsinized BECs was demonstrated by analysis of Hill plots of the adhesion data. Sugar inhibition data using a preincubation methodology showed an inhibition of adhesion to trypsinized BECs in the presence of N-acetylneuraminic acid and D-arabinose, while these same two sugars enhanced adhesion to untrypsinized BECs. D-Galactose and N-acetylglucosamine enhanced adhesion to both types of BECs though the latter did to different extents. D-Fucose only inhibited adhesion to untrypsinized BECs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)