IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON "SURFACE ANTIGEN" EXTRACTED FROM STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

I. ISOLATION OF THE ANTIGEN AND PROPERTIES OF THE IMMUNE RABBIT SERUM

Abstract

We isolated a fraction of the surface materials from Staphylococcus aureus FAD 209P and tried to purify it by the method used for the purification of polysaccharide. This material was temporarily called "surface antigen" The rabbit was immunized with the "surface antigen" and the properties of anti-bodies were investigated. The rabbit immune sera against "surface antigen" showed high agglutinin titers to blood cells sensitized with this antigen. The immune sera possessed an enhanced opsonic action, and the mice passively immunized with the serum showed a protective effect against the challenge with S. aureus 209P