ANTIGENICITY AND ANTIGENIC RELATEDNESS OF THE OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEINSOF SHIGELLA SPECIES

SDS-PAGE analysis of the outer membrane proteins (OMP) of Shigella dys enteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii and S. sonnei showed similar profiles after isolation from Shigela species grown at 30, 37 and 42 degrees C . In S. dysenteriae there was a 25 and a 17 kD polypeptide at 37 degre es C only, compared with the other two temperatures. In all four Shige lla spp the major protein band was around 34-38 kD. Antibodies raised in mice against formalinized bacteria gave a strong OMP specific respo nse in both IgM and IgG classes, with IgG(1) being the dominant subcla ss in all the species. Western blotting showed the major OMP to be the predominant antigen which was present in all the three temperatures t ested. Cross-reactivity studies of the antigenic OMP of Shigella revea led that the major protein around 38 kD was related in the four specie s. Biochemical analysis of the partially purified major OMP indicated it to be porin.