IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON A YERSINIA-ENTEROCOLITICA O-9 LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE CROSS-REACTING WITH BRUCELLA-ABORTUS AND VIBRIO CHOLERAE EXTRACTS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. B129  (3) , 425-435
Abstract
The presence of 2 distinct lipopolysaccharides in Y. enterocolitica O:9 is described: 1 isolated from the aqueous phase and 1 from the phenol phase (Westphal system). The sugar moiety of the phenol phase lipopolysaccharide is responsible for the serologic cross-reactions of Y. enterocolitica O:9, B. abortus and V. cholerae. The phenol phase antigen consists of glucose, galactose, glucosamine, 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid, heptose, lipid A and a protein moiety. Hemagglutination experiments reveal 2 different structures: 1 that readily coats erythrocytes [human] and another that requires alkali treatment. The former may be separated by repeated adsorptions on erythrocytes. Serologically, the 2 structures behave like a single antigen. The action of normal rabbit serum on the erythrocyte-coating capacity of the 2 structures was studied.