TYPING OF SHIGELLA-DYSENTERIAE STRAINS OF DIFFERENT SEROGROUPS BY LECTINS

Ten different serogroups of Shigellla dysenteriae were typed with the aid of lectins of known sugar specificity resulting from their interac tions with the carbohydrates on lipopolysaccharides in the outer membr ane of bacteria as evidenced by the agglutination-inhibition assay wit h simple carbohydrates. Lipopolysaccharides of two serogroups of Shige llla were precipitated with different lectins and the results were cor roborated by those derived from the agglutination assay suggesting tha t Shigella dysenteriae can be characterized on the species level with the aid of lectins.