On the Antigenic Structure of the Bacterial Spore

Abstract

The bacterial spore has an antigenically complex structure, a complexity extending to the cell surface, and possesses antigens characteristic of itself as well as others held in common with the parent vegetative cell. An agglutinin for spores can be demonstrated in anti-vegetative-cell serum, and by the injection of alkali-treated spores to prepare antiserum, a vegetative cell agglutinogen can be shown to exist in spores. The location of these common agglutinogens mostly inside the spore is suggested by 2 facts; 1, that special procedures such as alkali treatment or extended immunization are required to discover them, and, 2, that absorption by untreated spores is specific for spore agglutinins, and absorption by living vegetative cells is specific for the vegetative cell agglutinins. Carbohydrate type haptenes that will yield precipitates in the precipitin reaction may be isolated from spores. The location of precipitinogens on the spore surface is probable, since absorption of agglutinins will also remove precipitin reactions. Cross between spores from different species can be demonstrated by the agglutination procedure when closely related organisms are used.