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J Bacteriol. 1972 September; 111(3): 758-770
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Genetic Transfer of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide Antigens to Escherichia coli K-12

Department of Medical Microbiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli K-12 971 was crossed with a smooth Salmonella typhimurium donor, HfrK6, which transfers early the ilv-linked rfa region determining lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core structure. Two ilv⁺ hybrids differing in their response to the LPS-specific phages FO and C21 were then crossed with S. typhimurium HfrK9, which transfers early the rfb gene cluster determining O repeat unit structure. Most recombinants selected for his⁺ (near rfb) were agglutinated by Salmonella factor 4 antiserum. Transfer of an F' factor (FS400) carrying the rfb–his region of S. typhimurium to the same two ilv⁺ hybrids gave similar results. LPS extracted from two ilv⁺,his⁺, factor 4-positive hybrids contained abequose, the immunodominant sugar for factor 4 specificity. By contrast, his⁺ hybrids obtained from 971 itself by similar HfrK9 and F'FS400 crosses were not agglutinated by factor 4 antiserum, indicating that the parental E. coli 971 does not have the capacity to attach Salmonella O repeat units to its LPS core. It is concluded that the Salmonella rfb genes are expressed only in E. coli 971 hybrids which have also acquired ilv-linked genes (presumably rfa genes affecting core structure or O-translocase ability, or both) from a S. typhimurium donor. When E. coli 971 was crossed with a smooth E. coli donor, Hfr59, of serotype O8, which transfers his early, most his⁺ recombinants were agglutinated by E. coli O8 antiserum and lysed by the O8-specific phage, 8. This suggests that, although the parental E. coli K-12 strain 971 cannot attach Salmonella-specific repeat units to its LPS core, it does have the capacity to attach E. coli O8-specific repeat units.