Participation of Campylobacter jejuni flagellar epitopes in cellular adhesion
Andrews, E.; Fernández, H.; Folch, H.; Eller, G.; Pollette, M.
Medicina 56(5 Pt 1): 487-492
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7680 PMID: 9239884 Document Number: 463149
Using a flagellated (052) and an aflagellated (T-1) strains we studied the participation of flagellar epitopes of C. jejuni in the adhesion to HEp-2 cells in vitro. Strain 052 was significantly more adherent than strain T-1. When adhesion assays were carried out with antiflagella monoclonal antibodies, ;train 052 showed inhibition of their adhesive capacity that varied between 64.3 and 92.9%. With an ELISA test it was demonstrated that those monoclonal antibodies were specific and directed exclusively against flagellar epitopes of strain 052 being unreactive with strain T-1. Our results show that flagellar epitopes could participate in the adhesion process suggesting that flagella could be involved in the installation of the infectious process.