THE ROLE OF NEURAMINIDASE IN HEMAGGLUTINATION AND ADHERENCE TO COLON WIDR CELLS BY BACTEROIDES-FRAGILIS

The role of neuraminidase in haemagglutination and adherence to colon WiDr cells by eight strains of Bacteroides fragilis and four strains of oral black-pigmented gramnegative anaerobes was studied. Neuraminidase treatment resulted in a very small increase of haemagglutination by some of the strains but had no effect on adherence to WiDr cells by all bacterial strains tested except one strain of Prevotella intermedia (HG 110). Inhibition of neuraminidase had no effect on haemagglutination or adherence, nor was any correlation found between haemagglutinating ability and neuraminidase activity in the B. fragilis strain. The results indicated that haemagglutination and adherence of B. fragilis to WiDr cells were not mediated by neuraminidase.