[Dependence of various antigen formation of Proteus mirabilis strain 1095/67 growing on minimal nutrient media].

Proteus mirabilis strain 1095/67 has been cultivated in surface culture on different minimal media, which were composed either of single amino acids or combinations of several amino acids without or with stepwise addition of other C-sources up to the complete medium. We found a direct dependence of the formation of the various antigens (moving to the cathode, to the anode, or not moving) on the composition of the medium. Certain amino acids (Ala, Glu, Asp. Ser) elicit only parts of the antigenic spectrum formed in complete medium, but enrich special antigens. With only 2 amino acids (Ala and Glu) and the vitamins thiamine, pyridoxal, and niacine in the anorganic basic medium the complete antigenic spectrum can be formed. We have shown that the composition of the cell wall varies with the composition of the culture medium. In shaked cultures we found serine to be essential for the production of the antigen moving to the cathode and the thermolabile antigene moving to the anode (ATA), niacine to be of fundamental importance in the biosynthesis of all antigens. Already under very limited supply of nutrients ATA, common to all gram-negative bacteria, is formed and, therefore, it seems to be a very basic cell wall component.