86
A. SARAGEA ET AL.
C. Investigations on bacterial antigens
Wong (1938) and Wong and Tung (1938, 1939a, b) demonstrated three
kinds of antigens in diphtheria bacilli, i.e. a lipid and a polysaccharide
substance, both of which reacted type specifically, and an alkali soluble
protein, which had group specificity.
These investigations comprised only a small number of strains and did
not attempt to use the three antigens in systematic classification. Lautrop
(1950, 1955) investigated the occurrence of heat-labile and heat-stable
antigens in the diphtheria bacillus. His experiments showed that the heatlabile antigen caused O-inagglutinability of C. diphtheriue. Lautrop named
the heat-labile antigens “K” antigens, and stated that they are somatic
surface antigens, causing O-inagglutinability of living or formalin-treated
cultures. The heat-stable antigens were named “0” somatic antigens.
Lautrop (1955) considered the O-antigen as a group antigen, but underlined
the fact that the O-antigen as a diphtherial group antigen is of limited
usefulness as it is present also in C. osis and C. hofmannii. It is evident
that ordinary typing sera prepared by immunisation with heat-killed or
with formalin-killed organisms contain group reacting O-antibodies, able to
interfere with typing by giving rise to cross-reactions.
Most of the gravis and intermedius strains have a more developed “K”
antigen, in contrast with the mitis strains, which makes it possible to
obtain satisfactory results in ordinary serotyping.
More clear-cut results can be obtained using typing sera, from which
antibodies have been removed by absorption with an autoclaved culture
(Lautrop, 1955).
There is general agreement that protein “K” antigens are surface
antigens and O-antigens ’are polysaccharides (Wong, 1940; Wong and
Tung, 1940; Kroger and Thofern, 1952a, b; Cummins, 1954).
Cummins (1954, 1965) presumes that these O-antigens represent
modifications of the arabinogalactan component of the cell walls (Barksdale, 1970). Barber et al. (1966a, b), studying polysaccharides from
different corynebacteria, found that the structure is similar in most, but
not all, so that they cannot be employed as taxonomic criteria for the entire
group. They also showed (Barber et al., 1963, 1965) that there are typespecific protein antigens, a polysaccharide serologically specific for C.
diphtheriae, and nucleoprotein antigens common for all corynebacteria.
Kostjukova et al. (1970) present the results of immunological studies of the
surface fractions of C. diphtheriue obtained by salt extractions at various
pH values and by chloroform treatment. The alkali soluble fraction
seemed to be the most antigenic, containing two type-specific antigens.
Type specificity, evidenced by precipitation reactions with the alkalisoluble antigens, did not correspond fully to the type specificity determined
A. SARAGEA ET AL.
C. Investigations on bacterial antigens
Wong (1938) and Wong and Tung (1938, 1939a, b) demonstrated three
kinds of antigens in diphtheria bacilli, i.e. a lipid and a polysaccharide
substance, both of which reacted type specifically, and an alkali soluble
protein, which had group specificity.
These investigations comprised only a small number of strains and did
not attempt to use the three antigens in systematic classification. Lautrop
(1950, 1955) investigated the occurrence of heat-labile and heat-stable
antigens in the diphtheria bacillus. His experiments showed that the heatlabile antigen caused O-inagglutinability of C. diphtheriue. Lautrop named
the heat-labile antigens “K” antigens, and stated that they are somatic
surface antigens, causing O-inagglutinability of living or formalin-treated
cultures. The heat-stable antigens were named “0” somatic antigens.
Lautrop (1955) considered the O-antigen as a group antigen, but underlined
the fact that the O-antigen as a diphtherial group antigen is of limited
usefulness as it is present also in C. osis and C. hofmannii. It is evident
that ordinary typing sera prepared by immunisation with heat-killed or
with formalin-killed organisms contain group reacting O-antibodies, able to
interfere with typing by giving rise to cross-reactions.
Most of the gravis and intermedius strains have a more developed “K”
antigen, in contrast with the mitis strains, which makes it possible to
obtain satisfactory results in ordinary serotyping.
More clear-cut results can be obtained using typing sera, from which
antibodies have been removed by absorption with an autoclaved culture
(Lautrop, 1955).
There is general agreement that protein “K” antigens are surface
antigens and O-antigens ’are polysaccharides (Wong, 1940; Wong and
Tung, 1940; Kroger and Thofern, 1952a, b; Cummins, 1954).
Cummins (1954, 1965) presumes that these O-antigens represent
modifications of the arabinogalactan component of the cell walls (Barksdale, 1970). Barber et al. (1966a, b), studying polysaccharides from
different corynebacteria, found that the structure is similar in most, but
not all, so that they cannot be employed as taxonomic criteria for the entire
group. They also showed (Barber et al., 1963, 1965) that there are typespecific protein antigens, a polysaccharide serologically specific for C.
diphtheriae, and nucleoprotein antigens common for all corynebacteria.
Kostjukova et al. (1970) present the results of immunological studies of the
surface fractions of C. diphtheriue obtained by salt extractions at various
pH values and by chloroform treatment. The alkali soluble fraction
seemed to be the most antigenic, containing two type-specific antigens.
Type specificity, evidenced by precipitation reactions with the alkalisoluble antigens, did not correspond fully to the type specificity determined