Attachment of bacteria to mammalian surfaces.

Much attention has been devoted to the study of bacterial adherence to mammalian surfaces in vitro during the past several years. Some in vivo evidence also suggests that this process may indeed be an integral part of the pathogenesis of colonization and certain infections. The biochemical basis of attachment and definition of the actual receptor sites involved are just starting to become known and seem to be different amongst individual bacteria genera. However, pili may mediate attachment of a variety of gram-negative organisms to receptor cells, and streptococcal lipoteichoic acids probably serve a similar function. Some recent study methods and results in this field are reviewed.