SEPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF A COMMON ANTIGEN IN ENTEROBACTERIACEAE

Abstract

An antigen common to Enterobacteriaceae and closely associated with endotoxin fractions was separated by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The purified common antigen failed to coat erythrocytes; was poorly, if at all antigenic, in rabbits; was nondialysable and excluded from Sephadex G100 gel. It was composed of polysaccharide and polypeptide. The most important property of this antigen thus far determined appears to be its interference with the specificity of the hemmagglutination test commonly used to measure antibody to O antigen of Enterobacteriaceae. It may also have taxonomic significance in classification of this family of bacteria.