Adhesion of Streptococcus uberis to monolayers of cultured epithelial cells derived from the bovine mammary gland

Monolayers of epithelial cells obtained by culture of isolated secretory alveoli from the bovine mammary gland were used as target cells in bacterial adhesion assays. The ability of two strains of Streptococcus uberis (EF20 and 0140J) to adhere to these cells was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cultured monolayers consisted of two types of epithelial cell one of which possessed many microvilli and another which exhibited only sparse or no microvilli. Strain EF20 adhered more readily and in greater numbers to the cells without microvilli (MV−) than to cells possessing microvilli (MV+). Strain 0140J also interacted with a greater proportion of MV− cells but adhered to both MV− and MV+ cell types in similar numbers.