IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE BLOOD GROUP SUBSTANCES OF SOME BACTERIA

Abstract

Absorption experiment with monosaccharide was carried out on group specific antibodies, obtained by immunizing the rabbit or chicken with Shigella dysenteriae and Salmonella poona, containing O (H) substance, S. paratyphi B, containing FA substance, S. riogrande and Escherichia freundii B₉₀, containing A substance, and E. coli O₈₆, containing B and A substance, and sugar component of polysaccharide of each of these bacteria was investigated, with the following results.
1. Anti-O (H) agglutinin in anti-S. dysenteriae immune chicken serum is inhibited in its reaction by D-galactose, raffinose and L-arabinose, and anti-O (H) precipitin by D-galactose, raffinose, lactose, D-galactosamine and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. As sugary constituents of polysaccharide of this bacterium, however, galactose, rhamnose and acetyl-glucosamine are known. This indicates that O (H) substance of S. dysenteriae is slightly different from O (H) substance of S. poona.
2. Anti-O antibody in anti-S. poona immune chicken serum is inhibited in its reaction by L-fucose, while polysaccharide of this bacterium is composed of hexosamine, fucose, galactose, glucose and N-acetylhexosamine. In this way, S. poona contains L-fucose, which is related with O (H) activity.
3. Anti-FA agglutinin in anti-S. paratyphi B immune rabbit serum is inhibited in its reaction strongly by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and weakly by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, while polysaccharide of this bacterium is composed of hexosamine, rhamnose, mannose, galactose, glucose, abequose and N-acetylhexosamine. Thus it contains N-acetylhexosamine, which is related with FA substance.
4. Anti-A antibody in anti-S. riogrande and anti-E. freundii B₉₀ immune serum is inhibited in its reaction strongly by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and weakly by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and anti-A antibody in anti-E. freundii B₉₀ immune rabbit serum is slighly inhibited also by D-galactosamine, while polysaccharide of these bacteria is composed of hexosamine, mannose, galactose, glucose and N-acetylhexosamine. They contain thus N-acetylhexosamine, which is related with group A activity.
5. Anti-A agglutinin in E. coli O₈₆ immune chicken serum is inhibited in its reaction weakly by N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and extremely weakly by D-galactosamine, and anti-B antibody in the same serum is inhibited remarkably by raffinose and D-galactose, and weakly also by L-arabinose and D-galactosamine, while polysaccharide of this bacterium is composed of hexosamine, fucose, galactose, glucose and N-acetylglucosamine. In this way, the bacterium contains D-galactose, related with group B activity, and N-acetylhexosamine, related with group A activity.
6. In bacteria in which are demonstrated respective blood group substances are also demonstrated sugar groups which determine respective group specificities. However, the presence of such determining sugar group does not always mean the exhibition of group specific activity. This seems to indicate that what determines the exhibition of group specific activity is the way of the combination of sugars or difference of quantitative ratio between them.