BACTERIAL AGGLUTINATION BY THE SIALIC-ACID SPECIFIC SERUM LECTIN FROMMACROBRACHIUM-ROSENBERGII

We have isolated a serum lectin from the freshwater prawn, Macrobrachi um rosenbergii that agglutinates Bacillus cereus and Aeromona spl This lectin also agglutinates other bacteria such as Pasteurella haemolyti ca biotype A (capsular serotype 12), several serotypes from P. multoci da and Staphylococcus aureus and to a lesser extent Escherichia coli a nd Salmonella arizona. Lectin recognition of well known polysaccharide components seems to involve several bacterial O-keto and O-methyl con taining sugars, the N-acetyl-sugar residues and teichcoic from the pol ysaccharide cell wall.