[Chemical characterisation and serological activity of lipopolysaccharides of Ralstonia solanacearum].

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of 8 strains of Ralstonia solanacearum (767, 4157, 5712, 7944, 7945, 7955, 8089 and 8110) characterized by different types of the structures of O-specific polysaccharide chains have been investigated. The ELISA and ELISA-inhibition methods were used to investigate the extent of antigenic activity of the presented LPS with respect to the obtained polyclonal O-antisera to the above strains. When analyzing the results obtained the strains were divided into five serogroups as the result of biochemical and serological investigations. The first serogroup included the strains 5712, 7945, 7955 and 8110, whose LPS and O-antisera were characterized by the high level of serological affinity. The second and the third serogroups included the strains 767 and 7944, respectively. Their LPS demonstrated antigenic specificity in the homologous systems only, as well as to O-serum to the strain 5712. The fourth and the fifth serogroups included strains 4157 and 8089, respectively, whose LPS did not manifest the antigenic specificity with respect to O-antisera of the other strains, besides their own ones, and which were characterized by different in principle types of the O-PS structures O-PS.