Electron microscopy study of bacterial adhesiveness

The interaction of Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, Y. intermedia, Y. frederikseni, Y. kristenseni and erythrocytes was studied with the use scanning electron microscopy. Highly adhesive and moderately adhesive Staphylococcus and Yersinia strains displayed both individual coated bacterial cells and groups of cells interconnected by common intercellular matrix on the surface of erythrocytes. In nonadhesive Staphylococcus and Yersinia strains no coating was detected on the surface of bacterial cells. Some of Staphylococcus and Yersinia cells interacting with erythrocytes were at the stage of heteromorphism with different manifestations of L-transformation (cells with cell wall defects, spheroplasts and protoplasts). Heteromorphic cells did not adhere to the surface of erythrocytes.