Adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to squamous epithelium: role of fibronectin and teichoic acid.

For bacteria to colonize mucosal surfaces, they must be able to attach to epithelial cells. One of the most important factors in determining this attachment is bacterial adherence. The preferential adherence of a bacteria to a particular tissue influences the site of infection and the virulence of the organism. The glycoprotein fibronectin mediates adhesion of the bacteria to eukaryotic cells. Recent investigations have revealed that the precise locations of the binding sites for Staphylococcus aureus are close to the NH2-terminal and at the COOH-terminal regions of the fibronectin molecule. Teichoic acids are major cell-wall components of staphylococci that have been found to mediate the capacity of the bacteria to adhere to epithelial cells. By use of biologic assays based on the specific adherence of S. aureus to nasal epithelium, it was determined that the binding site for fibronectin appears to be teichoic acid.