Role of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia flagella in adhesion to human epithelial cells in vitro

Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an important opportunistic pathogen that affects immunocompromised individuals and has a high ability to adhere to different surfaces. In the present study, its ability to adhere to human epithelial cells collected from mouths of healthy volunteers was checked. Clinical isolate (Sm2) used in this study was able to adhere to the human epithelial cells. The involvement of flagella in the adhesion process was evaluated by employing anti-flagellin antibodies inhibitors of adhesion. To achieve this, flagellin was purified from clinical isolate (Sm2) anti-sera were raised in rabbits. The flagellin receptors were blocked by treatment of bacteria with anti-flagellin. Reduced bacterial adherence in the presence of flagellin antisera confirmed the role of flagella in adhesion to biotic surfaces. The effect of anti-flagellin was in a dose-dependent manner. These evidences prove the involvement of flagella in the adhesion of S. maltophilia to human epithelial cells.