STUDY OF THE ANTIGENIC COMPOSITION OF SOME F. TULARENSIS STRAINS. REPORT II. COMPARATIVE ANTIGENIC COMPOSITION OF VIRULENT AND AVIRULENT BACTERIA,

摘要

The presence of 12antigenic components in avirulent strain No 21/400of F. tularensis was demonstrated by the reaction of precipitation in gel. Using the same method 12antigenic components identical with those of the avirulent strain and an additional one, A antigen,were demonstrated in a virulent (No 128) and vaccine (No 15) strains. A antigen is situated on the surface (in the capsule) and in the bacterial cell wall. Large flake agglutination in the presence of tularemia is related to the presence of A antigen in the bacterial cells and of the corresponding A antibodies in the serum. The virulent (No 128) and avirulent (No 21/400) strains have five thermostable and seven thermolabile antigeni components in common,while the virulent strain contains,in addition,thermostable A antigen. (Author)