Adhesion ofAeromonas hydrophilaandVibrio anguillarumto fish cells and to mucus-coated glass slides

Tissue culture cells from rainbow trout liver (Rl) and chinook salmon embryo (CHSE) were investigated for the adherence of clinical and environmental isolates of Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas hydrophila. Adsorption of these bacteria to a glass surface coated with mucus from fish body surface was also examined. The results showed that half of the 16 Vibrio and Aeromonas strains adhered to the tissue culture cells and to the mucus-coated glass surface. Adhesion and adsorption of these isolates were time-dependent and lost after treatment of the bacteria with heat, proteolytic enzymes or ultra-sound.