The lipopolysaccharide core type of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 and other non-O157 verotoxin-producing E. coli

A mouse monoclonal antibody specific for the R3 lipopolysaccharide core typ e of Escherichia coli was used to determine the core type of E. coil O157:H 7 and other non-O157 verotoxin-producing E. coil strains. Lipopolysaccharid e extracts from 28 clinical isolates were examined by sodium dodecylsulfate -polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting and all were found t o have the R3 core. None of the core lipopolysaccharide from the strains te sted reacted with the control R1 and R2 specific monoclonal antibodies. A c ommon core type between all the verotoxin-producing E. coil strains tested may be significant when considering the immune response to these bacteria, and to the receptor for the VT bacteriophage. (C) 1999 Federation of Europe an Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.