title: Surface exposure of the O-antigen in Klebsiella pneumoniae O1:K1 serotype strains.
abstract: Isogenic non-encapsulated (K-) mutants (O1:K-) were obtained from several different Klebsiella pneumoniae O1:K1 serotype strains. By employing K. pneumoniae bacteriophages FC3-1, FC3-2, and bacteriophage phi 1, the bacterial surface receptors of which, are the O1-antigen of lipopolysaccharide and the K1 capsular polysaccharide (K1) respectively, the K1 polysaccharide was found to completely cover the O1 lipopolysaccharide molecules in each of the O1:K1 strains examined. Exposure of the O-antigen at the cell surface was only observed after growth in the presence of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. The implications of these findings for the design of vaccines for the prevention of Klebsiella infections is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tomas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camprubi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D001435:Bacteriophages; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides