Investigations into the Antigenic Characters of B. mesentericus and B. subtilis

Olof Sievers
1942 Journal of Bacteriology  
In a previous paper I reported in collaboration with Zetterberg (Sievers and Zetterberg, 1940) a number of tests performed in order to confirm, by aid of serological investigations, the biological classification of different spore-forming aerobic bacteria. The results of these preliminary experiments speak in favor of the theory that Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus mesentericus, Bacillus vulgatus, Bacillus mycoides and Bacillus cereus are characterized by different antigenic structures. Since that
more » ... ime Lamanna (1940) , according to the literature at my disposal, subjected spores of the above mentioned species to serological investigations. He maintains that, from an antigenic point of view, the spores of these organisms differ from those of the vegetative forms. The spores of B. subtilis, B. vulgatus, B. mesentericus and Bacillus agri permitted of a serological differentiation. Also, B. megatherium and B. subtilis seem to differ in this respect from the respective closely-related species. Howie and Cruickshank (1940) examining Clostridium sporogenes, B. cereus and B. mesentericus arrived at the conclusion that spore-antisera reacted with spores and eventually to some extent also with the vegetative forms of the relative bacteria. Antisera against vegetative cells did not react with spores. Goldman (1939) found that a bacteriophage active against B. mesentericus was capable of influencing lytically all the examined strains of B. mesentericus, B. subtilis and Bacillus saccharolyticus, whereas B. megatherium, Bacillus petasites, Bacillus asterosporus, B. mycoides and B. cereus were not at all affected. 305 on May 7, 2020 by guest http://jb.asm.org/ Downloaded from on May 7, 2020 by guest
doi:10.1128/jb.43.3.305-312.1942 fatcat:oamvbgeyd5d63eurny2kudjt6m