Effect of alpha-toxin and capsular exopolysaccharide on the adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to cultured teat, ductal and secretory mammary epithelial cells.

Cultures of teat, ductal and secretory epithelial cells were used to study the role of alpha-toxin and the capsular exopolysaccharide on the adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to mammary epithelium. The adherence of S aureus to the cells and their susceptibility to damage by alpha-toxin increased from teat to ductal to secretory cells. Alpha-toxin increased the susceptibility of epithelial cell monolayers to adherence by S aureus, and the extent of the adherence increased with the time of exposure to alpha-toxin. The exopolysaccharide capsule deterred the adherence of S aureus to mammary epithelial cells and to collagen. Organisms with a rigid capsule adhered to a smaller extent than those with a flaccid capsule. Both encapsulated and unencapsulated S aureus adhered more readily to collagen than to either healthy monolayers of epithelial cells or monolayers of cells damaged by alpha-toxin.