ANTIGENIC ANALYSIS OFSACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

Abstract

An antigenic analysis of the cell wall structure of 19 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed the occurrence of two distinct antigenic groups of strains, corresponding to the morphological subdivisions Sacch. cerevisiae and Sacch. cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus. Three distinct antigens were noted on all of 12 strains of Sacch. cerevisiae, whereas all of 7 strains of Sacch. cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus carried only one of these antigens, but possessed an additional cell wall antigen not found on Sacch. cerevisiae. Absorption tests against 9 other Saccharomyces species indicated that Sacch. cerevisiae, but not the ellipsoideus variant, had an antigenic structure not possessed by any of the other Saccharomyces species tested. This suggested a possible method for serological identification of Sacch. cerevisiae.