The specificity of Vibrio cholerae adherence and the significance of the slime agglutinin as a second mediator of in vitro attachment.

The aim of the present studies was to clarify Vibrio cholerae adherence by elucidating the basis for the apparently variable nature of in vitro attachment. An examination of the purported specificity of vibrio adherence did not support the concept of host receptor structures; organisms selected for their capacity to adhere to inert substrates simultaneously acquired the capacity to bind to intestinal tissue in vitro. Further investigation of the bacterial factors involved in adherence confirmed the in vitro significance of the slime agglutinin, although this moiety appeared to have no pathogenic relevance. The conflicting descriptions of V. cholerae attachment are discussed in terms of the nature of the factor responsible for binding in each system.