Avian P₁ antigens inhibit agglutination mediated by P fimbriae of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Whole egg white from pigeon, dove, and cockatiel eggs, as well as the ovomucoid fraction of pigeon egg white, exhibited strong P₁ antigenic activities and inhibited agglutination of human P₁ erythrocytes and of digalactoside-coated latex beads by P-fimbriated Escherichia coli strains. In contrast, chicken egg white exhibited only weak P₁ antigenic activity and had little impact on P-fimbrial agglutination. These preparations did not affect hemagglutination by E. coli strains expressing mannose-resistant adhesins other than P fimbriae, i.e., Dr, F1845, and S adhesins. Human anti- P₁ serum diminished the P-fimbrial inhibitory activities of pigeon egg white and pigeon ovomucoid. Pigeon ovomucoid was equipotent on a molar basis with globoside, and the pigeon, dove, and cockatiel egg white preparations were equipotent with each other in P-fimbrial inhibition. Incubation of p erythrocytes in whole egg whites or in pigeon ovomucoid did not render them agglutinable by P-fimbriated bacteria, whereas incubation in globoside did. These data demonstrate that whole egg whites (and their ovomucoid fraction) from members of the families Columbidae (pigeons and doves) and Psittacidae (parrots) specifically and potently inhibit P-fimbrial agglutination, probably by providing P₁ antigen as a receptor for the P-fimbrial adhesin. Avian egg white preparations may facilitate adhesin characterization of wild- type uropathogenic strains and may be useful in preventing upper urinary tract infections due to P-fimbriated E. coli.