Agglutination of trypsinized sheep erythrocytes by the pili of Corynebacterium renale.

Corynebacterium renale strains which possessed numerous pili agglutinated trypsinized sheep erythrocytes, whereas those possessing only a few pili did not show such activity. By electron microscopy, the pili of C. renale adhered to the ghost of trypsinized sheep erythrocytes. After the treatment of C. renale with the homologous anti-pili serum, neither the agglutination of trypsinized sheep erythrocytes nor the adherence to the ghost by the pili were found. The adhesive property of the pili of C. renale was thus demonstrated.