Serologically specific lipopolysaccharides from oral Veillonella

Biologically active (pyrogenic, Schwartzmann-reactive) lipopolysaccharides were prepared by phenol-water extraction of nineteen strains of oral anaerobic gram-negative cocci conforming to the characteristics of the genus Veillonella. Analyses of certain of these lipopolysaccharides for lipid, protein, polysaccharide, N and P contents revealed a striking similarity in gross chemical composition. Conventional agglutination tests and haemagglutination tests employing lipopolysaccharide-sensitized sheep erythrocytes compared favourably as a means of determining the potency of anti-veillonella rabbit sera. The lipopolysaccharides appeared to be serologically specific as determined by haemagglutination-inhibition tests, which established several serotypes of veillonellae. This specificity could not be demonstrated by conventional agglutination tests or by agar-gel diffusion tests using cell extracts.