The adherence of Escherichia coli to the intestinal epithelium of piglets

The ability of some pathogenic strains of E. coli to adhere to the intestinal epithelium significantly enhances their effectivity. This adhesion of particular pigs' strains is mediated by specific pili possessing the K 88 antigen found on the outer membrane of the bacterial cell. In in vitro experiments with isolated piglets' enterocytes, a considerable adherence of the E. coli K 88+ strain was found when compared with the same bacterial strain but lacking this plasmid-directed antigen. Comparable results were obtained in in vivo experiments with ligated intestinal loops as well as with monoassociated piglets. Furthermore, the adherence ability is most pronounced at the early postnatal period and is negligible in adult pigs.