[Studies of acid-soluble antigens in several strains of the genus Bacillus for orienting purposes (author's transl)].

Abstract

By acid hydrolysis (0.2 n HCl) it was possible to obtain extracts from nonsporulated cells of different strains of 5 species of the genus Bacillus which were composed mainly or solely of species-specific antigens. This was the result of experiments using the immunodiffusion technique after having prepared antisera from rabbits with the aid of HCl extracts. Cross-reacting antibodies were adsorbed easily. The species-specific reacting antisera revealed the existence of group- or strain-specific antigens. Therefore HCl extracts could become helpful in serotyping strains which belong to the taxa of the genus Bacillus.