Vibrio cholerae flagellar antigens: A serodiagnostic test, functional implications of H-reactivity and taxonomic importance of cross-reactions within theVibrio genus

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Abstract
Serodiagnostic tests for all serotypes ofVibrio cholerae using H-antisera were investigated. Actively motile cell lines of 155 stock and international reference cultures of human, animal, fish, and halophilicVibrios, Aeromonas, Comomonas, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, andEscherichia were investigated. Without exception, all cholera vibrios (including the NAG serotypes) reacted with H sera. Positive reactions were obtained specifically (a) within 2 hrs at 52‡C in the tube test using thick formalized suspensions and H antisera at optimal proportion titre and (b) within 30 sec by slide agglutination of fresh cultures. The other vibrios investigated reacted similarly with their homologous H antisera. The rapid diagnostic techniques of fluorescent antibody labeling or immobilization were unsuccessful,V. cholerae flagella being refractive to H sera in these tests.V. cholerae was, however, sensitive in a type-specific manner to O antisera. These and related observations suggest that O antigen has a functional role inVibrio motility. Interspecies H cross-reactions betweenV. cholerae and fish and animal vibrios which correlated with bacteriologic similarity, were demonstrated. O antigens of these vibrios were strain specific. Cross-absorption analysis indicated that the H antigens of vibrios were characteristic and homogeneous within the species, and therefore a potentially important taxonomic criterion ofVibrio species.