CAPSULAR REACTIONS AND SOLUBLE ANTIGENS OF TORULA HISTOLYTICA AND OF SPOROTRICHUM SCHENCKII

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The capsules of T. histolytica (Cryptococcus neoformans) gave reactions similar in principle to the capsular swelling seen in Quellung tests on bacteria. The Torula reactions were obtained with antiserums produced by immunization with a saprophytic strain of Oospora which resembled O. lactis in morphology, as well as with Torula anti-serums; the Sporotrichum reactions were obtained with homologous antiserums. The capsular reactivity of the serums was directly related to their capacities to agglutinate suspensions and to precipitate soluble antigens of Torula and of Sporotrichum. and was removed from the serums by absorption with soluble antigens of the respective fungi. The soluble antigens included partially purified products from broth cultures of Torula and of Sporotrichum, a partially purified product from Sporotrichum-infected mice, and a purified polysaccharide from a culture of Torula grown on a synthetic medium. The purified polysaccharide was highly reactive in precipitation tests with unabsorbed serum, and its ability to absorb the Torula capsular reactivity from the serum indicates that the major antigens involved in the capsular reactions of Torula cells are polysaccharides, identical with or similar to the product used in the present study.