Surface charge of erythrocytes and lactobacilliS. thermophilusand their intercellular adhesion depend on the concentration of bivalent cations

Abstract

We propose a simple and accessible model of lactobacilli adhesion to human eryth-rocytes. The influence of bivalent cations on the surface charge of erythrocytes and lactobacilli Streptococcus thermophilus and their adhesive interaction has been investigated. We have shown that, despite the seemingly similar unidirectional effect of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ cations, the cause of decreased adhesion lactobacilliS. thermophi-lus to human erythrocytes differ. While Ca 2+ ions affect the surface charge of eryth-rocytes, not changing it in S. thermophilus,Mg 2+ ions, conversely, affect the surface charge of lactobacilli and do not change it in erythrocytes. Our results confirm our proposition that in this case, the bivalent cations affect the second irreversible stage of adhesion process, but not the physical interactions during the first reversible stage.