Interaction of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli with human meconium.

The ability of Escherichia coli with different receptor specificities to interact with meconium was studied. E. coli strains expressing P-fimbriae, specific for Galα1–4Galβ-containing receptors, were agglutinated by meconium at high titres. This reaction was inhibited by globotetraosylceramide. The attachement of P-fimbriated E. coli to human colonic epithelial cells of the HT-29 cell line was inhibited by meconium. Some type 1 fimbriated strains were agglutinated by meconium, but the agglutination was rarely blocked by methylα-D-mannoside. The attachement by type 1 fimbriated strains to HT-29 cells was reduced by meconium only in some cases. These results suggest that meconium interacts with the P-fimbriae of E. coli, in a way that may influence bacterial colonization of the neonatal intestine.