Adherence of Streptococcus equi on tongue, cheek and nasal epithelial cells of ponies.

Streptococcus equi was found to adhere to tongue, cheek and nasal epithelial cells of ponies, in vitro. Maximum adherence was observed at pH 7.5 after one hour of incubation of bacteria with epithelial cells. This adherence was more on epithelial cells from adult animals than from foals. Streptococci exposed to heat (60 degrees C for 10 min) or treated with pepsin or trypsin showed a reduced adherence, whereas an increase occurred on treatment with hyaluronidase. Antibodies against whole S. equi cells or M-like protein blocked the adherence, whereas antibodies against group-specific carbohydrate or lipoteichoic acids did not. Pretreatment of epithelial cells with either the M-like protein or crude extract of S. equi lowered the adherence, whereas an extract of S. zooepidemicus did not. Adherence of S. equi to the epithelial cells was considered to be mediated by structures specific to S. equi.