| Abstract: | A nonvirulent strain of Shigella sonnei phase I has been obtained by integration of the transposon Tn5 into the invasiveness plasmid pSS120 in the virulent strain and designated NR18. The presence of the plasmid pSS120 in both strains results in the similar morphology and bacterial ability to agglutinate in the presence of antiserum to Shigella sonnei phase I antigen. The lipopolysaccharide preparations from the virulent and nonvirulent strains give the similar reactions with the antiserum in the reaction of hemagglutination. However, in the reaction of passive local hemolysis in the gel (Jerne reaction) the significant difference is revealed in the immunogenicity of the preparations, with the preparations from the virulent strain being 4-5 fold more immunogenic. In crossreaction, the antibodies secreted by the mouse spleen cells immunized by LPS from the virulent strain show a weak reaction with the ram erythrocytes sensitized by the LPS of the nonvirulent strain. Thus, the biological changes in the LPS of the nonvirulent strains that are, evidently, the consequence of the structural changes, are identified only by the most sensitive immunological techniques. |
