The Role of the O and K Antigens in Determining the Resistance of Klebsiella aerogenes to Serum Killing and Phagocytosis

Abstract

SUMMARY: The presence of both K and O antigens of Klebsiella aerogenes was found necessary to protect the organism from either complement-mediated serum killing or phagocytosis in the absence of specific antisera. Optimal phagocytic ingestion of K. aerogenes NCTC 5055 could be achieved in the presence of either anti-K or anti-O sera or to a much smaller extent in antisera raised against a rough unencapsulated mutant (M10B) derived from NCTC 5055. Anti-O sera failed to opsonize a clinical klebsiella isolate (DL1) possessing immunologically identical lipopolysac-charide, but did so when the amount of capsule was physically reduced. The serum sensitivity of the encapsulated strains was unaffected by the addition of specific antisera. Fresh serum was bacteriostatic for an unencapsulated smooth mutant (M10) derived from NCTC 5055. This bacteriostatic effect was reduced by heat-inactivation of the serum or by the addition of anti-O serum. M10 was rendered sensitive to the bactericidal action of serum in the presence of antisera raised against M10B or after chelation with MgEGTA to isolate alternative complement pathway activity. The rough unencapsulated mutant (M10B) was rapidly killed by fresh serum, an effect which could be delayed by chelation with MgEGTA. The serum sensitivity of M10B was unaffected by the presence of anti-M10B sera. Thus, the O antigen, unlike the K antigen, of these klebsiella strains is not antiphagocytic but it does confer some protection against the rapid bactericidal activity of serum complement.