RESUMO
Pseudomonas aeruginosa adherence to fibronectin has been shown to be important to bacterial colonization and infection. To better understand the mechanisms involved in this interaction, the role of the carbohydrate moiety of the fibronectin molecule in P. aeruginosa adhesion was studied. Strain NK 125 502 adhered to immobilized fibronectin with an adherence index of 4.8 x 10(5) CFU/ micro g. Periodic oxidation of fibronectin markedly reduced the adhesion of P. aeruginosa, while a neuraminidase treatment increased bacteria adhesion. N-Acetylgalactosamine, N-acetylglucosamine, sialic acid, and also lectin PA-IL worked as efficient inhibitors in adhesion assays: 59%, 70.7%, 100%, and 60% of inhibition, respectively. We have demonstrated here the involvement of a lectin-like process in the interaction of P. aeruginosa NK 125 502 with immobilized fibronectin.