Phenotypic expression of K88 adhesion alone or simultaneously with K99 and/or F41 adhesins in the bovine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain B41.

F41-positive and F41-negative derivatives of bovine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain B41 carrying K88 or K88 and K99 plasmids were investigated for stability and expression of genes for their fimbrial antigens. Either K88 plasmid alone or both K88 and K99 plasmids could be maintained in these strains though stability could depend on culture medium. K99 antigen could be detected in each strain bearing K99 plasmid. Clones that produced K88 antigen or clones that did not produce this antigen could be isolated from each strain, except from the strain that possessed K99 plasmid in the strain that did not possess the ability to produce F41 antigen. Strains possessing K88 plasmid in the strain able to produce F41 antigen produced clones expressing either both K88 and F41 antigens, (also F41 appeared strongly expressed in some clones) or clones that produced only F41 antigen or no antigen at all. Clones that produced only K88 antigen or others that did not produce this antigen could be produced from a strain bearing only K88 plasmid and that did not possess the ability to produce F41 antigen. None of these strains bearing K88 plasmid alone or additionally K99 plasmid produced mannose-resistant hemagglutination of horse or sheep erythrocytes at 20 degrees C as found for K99 and F41 ETEC natural strains, respectively. These results suggested that the structures of pili when several genetic determinants were present simultaneously may not be identical to those of original strains. In this study, clones expressing either one, two or three adhesin bearing antigens could be obtained from the strain B41.