Collagen binding, elastase production, and slime production associated with coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from bovine intramammary infections.

Collagen binding, elastase production, slime production, and associated somatic cell counts were determined with 160 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from bovine intramammary infections. Mean binding values for type I and II collagen with Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. chromogenes, and S. hyicus strains were 5.8, 6.6, and 7.4 and 4.3, 4.2, and 4.9%, respectively. Eleven of 28 (39.3%) S. epidermidis, 1 of 38 (2.6%) S. chromogenes, and 1 of 94 (1.1%) S. hyicus strains were elastase positive. Slime production was noted with 12 (42.9%) S. epidermidis, 1 (2.6%) S. chromogenes, and 11 (11.7%) S. hyicus strains. No differences in somatic cell counts were observed with type I or type II collagen binding, elastase production, or slime production with S. epidermidis or S. chromogenes. However, somatic cell counts associated with S. hyicus strains with collagen type I binding affinities of greater than 5 and type II binding affinities of greater than 3 were 320.7 x 10(3) compared with 163.9 x 10(3) for strains with lower binding affinities.