This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Moody, M. R. Articles by Faber, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Moody, M. R. Articles by Faber, J. E. Agricola Articles by Moody, M. R. Articles by Faber, J. E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1969 August; 18(2): 262-267
Copyright © 1969 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effect of Cultural Environment on the Blood Group Activity of Microorganisms¹

National Cancer Institute, Baltimore Cancer Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21211
Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742

ABSTRACT

Blood group activity was proven to be a property of the bacterium per se which possesses it, although such activity was influenced by the cultural environment of the organism. High concentrations of peptones having blood group activity were able to transfer this activity to inactive organisms; however, the conferred activity was proportional to the concentration. As a result of the low concentrations, the blood group activity of peptones was eliminated upon incorporation in culture media, and the activity of the peptones had no effect on the blood group activity levels of microorganisms when grown in these media. Conversely, the vitamin content of culture media did affect blood group active organisms. Multiple vitamins in media decreased the activity levels by blocking the reactive sites of the active organisms on which activity detection depended. Blood group activity levels were highest in media of minimal or no vitamin content. Therefore, it can be concluded that a choice of cultural medium becomes an important factor in the quantitation of bacterial blood group activity.

¹ This report constitutes part of a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.S. degree from the University of Maryland, 1968.