title: Variable expression of O-antigen and the role of lipopolysaccharide as an adhesin in Aeromonas sobria.
abstract: On initial isolation of Aeromonas sobria 3767 from a diarrhoeal stool specimen, two colony types were obtained: opaque (3767O) and translucent (3767T). Strain 3767O consistently produced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core and O-antigen side chain, detectable by SDS-PAGE and by Western blotting with an O-antigen-specific monoclonal antibody. Strain 3767T produced LPS core but the amount of O-antigen was dependent on factors including growth medium and bacterial growth phase. Strain 3767T exhibited significantly lower levels of adhesion to HEp-2 cells than 3767O and this correlated with the level of LPS expression, with the greatest reduction (61%) at stationary phase when no LPS was detectable. The results implicate LPS as an adhesin for A. sobria 3767.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Francki
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D000333:Aeromonas / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D019081:O Antigens; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D019081:O Antigens; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial