Variation of the O antigen of Campylobacter jejuni in vivo.
During the course of a clinical study on patients with campylobacteriosis, three consecutive isolates of Campylobacter jejuni from the same patient were sent for O-serotyping. Marked differences in the specificities of the O antigens of the isolates were observed between the first and third isolates when a passive haemagglutination assay system developed for serotyping C. jejuni was used. Differences in specificity were also demonstrated by immunoblots of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from proteinase K-digested whole cells. The three isolates could not be distinguished either by restriction endonuclease analysis of chromosomal DNA, by gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins or by silver-stained LPS gels, thus providing evidence that they were of the same strain and that antigenic variation had occurred in vivo.
Department of Microbiology, University of Toronto, Banting Institute, Canada.
S D
SD
Mills
B
B
Kuzniar
B
B
Shames
L A
LA
Kurjanczyk
J L
JL
Penner
D000940:Antigenic Variation; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D019081:O Antigens; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012703:Serotyping
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019081:O Antigens; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial