Adhesion of a human fecal Escherichia coli strain to mouse colonic mucus.

Escherichia coli F-18 isolated from the feces of a healthy human is an excellent colonizer of the CD-1 mouse colon. In the present investigation, adhesion of E. coli F-18 to CD-1 mouse colonic mucus and bovine serum albumin (BSA), immobilized on polystyrene, was studied. Adhesion of E. coli F-18 to mucus was two- to sixfold greater than to either BSA or polystyrene. E. coli F-18 lipopolysaccharide specifically blocked adhesion of E. coli F-18 to mucus and mimicked adhesion of E. coli F-18 to mucus, BSA, and polystyrene. Purified capsule also blocked adhesion of E. coli F-18 to mucus, but this inhibition was found to be entirely nonspecific. The specific E. coli F-18 receptor in mucus appeared to be a glycoprotein, containing sugars normally found in mucins and having a maximum molecular weight of between 1.25 X 10(5) and 2.5 X 10(5).