STUDIES ON IMMUNITY IN ANTHRAX

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The protective antigen of B. anthracis was elaborated only during growth of the organism in the presence of a readily utilizable carbohydrate. Among a variety of carbohydrates and related substances that were tested, only glucose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, dextrin, and glycerol supported significant accumulation of antigen. Utilization of glucose was studied under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The concentration of antigen reached a peak at approximately the time of exhaustion of glucose, and decreased on further incubation of the culture. Fermentation of glucose was a mixed lactic type with lactic, acetic, and formic acids the chief products; glycerol, acetoin, 2,3-butylene glycol, pyruvic acid, and traces of [alpha]-ketoglutaric acid were also formed. Bicarbonate was required for appreciable elaboration of antigen under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Traces of antigen were formed in anaerobic cultures in the absence of added bicarbonate, presumably because of retention of metabolic CO2- Omission of bicarbonate produced only minor changes in the fermentation products of glucose, except that concentration of pyruvate was significantly reduced, particularly under anaerobic conditions. The meaning of the results is discussed.