Open AccessImmunochemical Studies on the Lipoteichoic Acids of Bifidobacterium bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum
Author(s) -
Huub J. M. Op den Camp,
Pierre Peeters,
Arie Oosterhof,
J.H. Veerkamp
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1465-2080
pISSN - 1350-0872
DOI - 10.1099/00221287-131-3-661
Subject(s) - lipoteichoic acid , bifidobacterium bifidum , antiserum , teichoic acid , precipitin , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , bacteria , polysaccharide , lactobacillus , biochemistry , antigen , chemistry , bifidobacterium , staphylococcus aureus , fermentation , genetics
Antisera to lipoteichoic acid of Bifidobacterium bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum were obtained by injecting lipoteichoic acid/methylated BSA complexes into rabbits. Precipitin tests showed that the glycerol phosphate backbone is primarily responsible for serological specificity while the polysaccharide part of the molecule plays a minor role. Whole cells of B. bifidum subsp. pennsylvanicum were capable of absorbing antibodies, indicating the presence of lipoteichoic acid (14% of the total content) at or near the bacterial surface. Cross-reactivity with strains of the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus was tested using absorption of antiserum by whole bacteria and reactivity of phenol extracts. The results indicated that lipoteichoic acid is a common antigen within the genus Bifidobacterium. The cross-reactivity with the lactobacilli tested was very low.