Characterization of swimming motility and identification of flagellar proteins in Salmonella pullorum isolates.
OBJECTIVE
To identify swimming motility in Salmonella pullorum isolates and to characterize the flagellar proteins produced by motile isolates.


METHODS
30 S pullorum isolates and isolates of 7 other Salmonella sp.


METHODS
Salmonella pullorum isolates were inoculated into high motility medium to evaluate swimming motility. Putative flagellar proteins were purified from the organisms and analyzed by means of gel electrophoresis and western blotting procedures, using various antisera specific for flagellar proteins. Antisera shown to be reactive with putative flagellar proteins were incorporated into the growth medium to examine their effects on motility of the isolates.


RESULTS
All S pullorum isolates had evidence of swimming motility. Two putative flagellar proteins were purified from 2 of the S pullorum isolates: a 60 to 62 kd protein shown to react with antiserum specific for type y flagellar protein, and a 58 to 59 kd protein shown to react with antiserum specific for type d flagellar protein and with antibody reactive to a highly conserved flagellar epitope found on various Enterobacteriaceae. Antiserum specific for type d flagellar protein inhibited swimming motility of S pullorum isolates, but antiserum specific for type y flagellar protein did not.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that S pullorum isolates can be induced to manifest swimming motility when grown on medium with a low agar concentration and possess a 58 to 59 kd protein of d serotype and a second protein of 60 to 62 kd that also may be a flagellar protein.
Chaubal
L H
LH
US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
Holt
P S
PS
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005407:Flagella / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D011200:Poultry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D012481:Salmonella Infections, Animal / Q000382:microbiology*; D012477:Salmonella enteritidis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D012703:Serotyping
D001426:Bacterial Proteins