Adhesion of lactobacilli to small intestinal cells

Abstract

Lactobacilli have been shown to inhabit the proximal regions of the digestive tract of many species of animals, and some of these lactobacilli have the ability to adhere to and colonise the epithelium of the oesophagus (Tannock, Blummershine and Archibald, 1987) and stomach (Fuller and Turvey, 1971; Tannocket al., 1982), whilst others appear to be associated with the small intestine (Tannocket al., 1982). The mechanisms by which these bacteria colonise their habitats is still unclear.In this study the adhesion of lactobacilli, isolated from the small intestine of pigs, to porcine small intestinal cells was investigated.