The influence of the O and K antigens of Klebsiella aerogenes on surface hydrophobicity and susceptibility to phagocytosis and antimicrobial agents
Open Access
- 1 March 1986
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Microbiology Society in Journal of Medical Microbiology
- Vol. 21 (2) , 125-132
- https://doi.org/10.1099/00222615-21-2-125
Abstract
The surface hydrophobicity of Klebsiella aerogenes is influenced by the presence of capsular (K) and lipopolysaccharide (O) antigens. Loss of both K and O antigens (K-O-), but not the K antigen alone (K-O+), increased surface hydrophobicity and susceptibility to phagocytosis. Unheated serum (i.e., containing complement) increased the surface hydrophobicity and phagocytosis of the K-O+ and K-O- strains, but not of the K+O+ encapsulated parent strain. Despite the altered susceptibility to phagocytosis caused by the presence or absence of the K and O antigens, their loss did not influence sensitivity to a range of hydrophilic, hydrophobic or cationic antimicrobial agents.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evaluation of serum opsonic capacity by quantitating the initial chemiluminescent response from phagocytizing polymorphonuclear leukocytesInfection and Immunity, 1977
- Isolation of Rough Mutants of Klebsiella aerogenes and their Synthesis of PolysaccharidesJournal of General Microbiology, 1976