Russian Research Institute of Veterinary Sanitation, Hygiene and Ecology, State University of Applied Biotechnology, Moscow, Russian nThe interaction of Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Y.pseudotuberculosis, Y.intermedia, Y.frederikseni, Y.kristenseni and erythocytes was studied with the use sca
ing electron microscopy. Highly adhesive and moderately adhesive Staphylococcus and Yersinia strains displayed both individual coated bacterial cells and groups of cells interco
ected by common intercellular matrix on the surface of erythrocytes. In nonadhesive Staphylococcus and Yersinia strains no coating was detected on the surface of bacterial cells. Some of Staphylococcus and Yersinia cells interacting with erythrocytes were at the stage of heteromorphism with different manifestations of L-transformation (cells with cell wall defects, spheroplasts and protoplasts). Heteromorphic cells did not adhere to the surface of erythrocytes. nZh. Mikrobiol. (Moscow), 2002, No. 1, P. 3—6