Physiological studies on the pneumococcal Forssman antigen: a choline-containing lipoteichoic acid. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The cell concentration and possible biological activities of the pneumococcal Forssman (F) antigen (membrane lipoteichoic acid) were examined in a number of physiological situations. In test tube cultures of pneumococci the concentration of the Forssman antigen per bacterium showed no significant fluctuations within a typical culture cycle. Purified F antigen had no effect on the activation of pneumococci to competence for genetic transformation, DNA mediated genetic transformation or adsorption of the pneumococcal phage Dp-1 to bacteria. Pneumococci grown in the presence of different amino alcohols (ethanolamine, N-monomethylethanolamine, or choline) exhibit differences with regard to both their ability to stimulate heterophile (haemolytic) antibody production in rabbits and in their ability to bind such antibodies. Choline-grown bacteria seem to cross-react with sheep red blood cells better than do the analogue-grown bacteria.

publication date

  • February 1, 1975

Research

keywords

  • Forssman Antigen
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Teichoic Acids

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0016670875

PubMed ID

  • 234510

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 86

issue

  • 2