title: Active immunization of NMRI mice against Serratia marcescens. II. K-antigen extracts.
abstract: The minimal active immunogenic doses (intraperitoneal administration) of crude K-antigen extracts of Serratia marcescens for NMRI mice were 80 ng. Following ultracentrifugation (300,000 x g, 16 h), supernatant fluids of three K-antigen extracts were free of contaminating DNA, RNA, and 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-manno-octonic acid (KDO), and the contents of Limulus amoebocyte lysate-reactive lipopolysaccharide (LPS) had been reduced from 100- to 1000-fold. The minimal active immunogenic doses of two ultracentrifuged K-antigen extracts were 2 and 10 micrograms, respectively. A mucoid strain of S. marcescens (SM 20-M; serotype O6/O14:H12) yielded nonmucoid (= SM 29-NM) variants that had lost most of the O6/O14 O-antigen (LPS) and all of the SM 29-M K-antigen extract reactivity (ELISA test) and which were ca. 5-fold less mouse-virulent. Crude K-antigen extracts from S. marcescens strain SM 29-M and variant SM 29-NM failed to protect NMRI mice against strain SM 29-M.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Hygiene, Universität des Saarlandes, Homburg/Saar.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Traub
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spohr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014461:Ultracentrifugation; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; C030659:K antigens