16 KDA ENVELOPE PROTEINS IN NON-SERPULINA-HYODYSENTERIAE SPIROCHETES ISOLATED FROM PIGS

Spirochaetes isolated-from field samples of diarrhoea, 'colitis' and m ucoid diarrhoea from pigs were examined by a series of cultural, bioch emical and serological tests. In addition sodium dodecyl sulphate poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to determine whether the organ isms possessed a 16 kDa protein thought to distinguish Serpulina hyody senteriae from S innocens. Spirochaetal isolates which differed cultur ally and biochemically from S hyodysenteriae were found to possess a 1 6 kDa protein. One of these isolates was examined by electron microsco py and found to have an ultrastructure differing from that of S hyodys enteriae. Antiserum to the 16 kDa antigen of S hyodysenteriae reacted with isolate S80/5, the homologous strain, and with B78, the type spec ies, but not with the 16 kDa antigens of the field isolates considered to be S hyodysenteriae or with the non-S hyodysenteriae spirochaetes. It was concluded that there may be a family of 16 kDa proteins locate d on the envelope of various spirochaetes responsible for diarrhoea in pigs.