Serological evaluation of the outer membrane protein complexes of five saccharolytic intestinalBacteroides species

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The purpose of this investigation was to develop a serological procedure for rapid identification of the following fiveBacteroides species:Bacteroides distasonis, Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides ovatus, Bacteroides uniformis, andBacteroides vulgatus. The outer membrane fractions were assayed using SDS-polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoretic techniques. The species-specific protein band from each species as well as the group-specific protein were purified and used to immunize rabbits. The species-specific and the group-specific antisera produced were used to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the species-specific and group-specific protein from the outer membrane of five reference species. The sensitivity and specificity of the procedure were evaluated by indirect ELIS A methodology using 506 clinical isolates of organisms in this group, ten other species of anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, and three species of aerobic gram-negative bacilli. Each species evaluated yielded unique outer membrane protein patterns, suggesting the potential for development of a rapid, species-specific diagnostic procedure.