Binding of the F18 fimbrial adhesin FedF to piglet intestinal epithelium involves specific receptor recognition and non-specific electrostatic attraction with the phospholipid membrane
Post-weaning diarrhoea and oedema disease are serious infectious diseases of piglets caused by pathogenic E. coli strains, including enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). These strains account for substantial economical losses in the pig industry (Bertschinger et al., 1994; E. coli in Domestic Animals and Humans (Gyles, C. L. ed) pp. 193, CAB, Wallingford, Oxon, UK). The first and crucial step during most of these pathogenic infections is the recognition and adhesion of these pathogens to a specific host tissue. Adhesins mediating such an interaction are often presented to the host cell receptors by pili or fimbriae. We examined FedF, the adhesive tipsubunit of F18 fimbriae expressed by STEC which infect recently weaned piglets. Recently, the carbohydrates interacting with the FedF adhesin were identified by Coddens et al. (2009, J. Biol. Chem. 284, 9713). The authors showed that FedF is interacting with ABH blood group type 1 determinants
