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Abstract
Chemotactic- or motility-regulated mucus association appears to be the predominant
mechanism of mucosal association by the causative agent of swine dysentery, Serpulina
hyodysenteriae. In the present study, a modification of the Adler capillary assay
was used to evaluate the chemotactic responses of S. hyodysenteriae to a variety of
potential stimuli. First, however, it became necessary to study factors that influenced
motility of the spirochete in vitro, since standard cultivation methods produced motility
inferior to that observed for in vivo grown cells. A number of factors were found
to influence S. hyodysenteriae motility, but of these growth medium and growth phase
appeared to be the most important. The type and even batch of culture medium also
were found to have a significant influence on S. hyodysenteriae motility. Optimal
motility and chemotaxis for S. hyodysenteriae was observed when the cells were harvested
in mid- to late-log phase, and in vivo-like motility could be induced by suspending
the cells in physiologic saline. S. hyodysenteriae was strongly attracted to hog gastric
mucin, certain concentrations of blood, L-fucose, L-serine and other compounds. Selected
sugars and other amino acids did not serve as chemoattractants for S. hyodysenteriae.
The chemotactic response of S. hyodysenteriae toward L-fucose and L-serine, constituents
of mucin, may be important factors in the affinity of the spirochete for the mucus
in the intestinal tract of swine.