The role of lipopolysaccharide as a receptor for some bacteriophages of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Typing phages of the Colindale typing set for Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been tested for the use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a receptor. Studies using the reference strains of the International Antigenic Typing Scheme for O-serotypes of P. aeruginosa supported earlier indications that none of the phages were O-specific. Studies of the adsorption of phages to LPS showed that typing phages 16, 44, F8, 68, 109, 352, and 1214 (as well as other phages 2 and H22) were LPS-specific, but were not consistently adsorbed by isolated LPS from all sensitive strains. Water-soluble fractions from LPS did not adsorb phages and did not inhibit their neutralization by whole LPS. No endoglycosidase activity against LPS was detected for any phage. The significance of these results for the roles of LPS in the adsorption process and phage sensitivity are discussed.