The interaction of Brucella cell surface components with plant agglutinins.

Cells of all Brucella species were agglutinated by the basic protein-reactive lectins of Mangifera indica and Persea americana. Cells of non-smooth strains including B. ovis and B. canis but not smooth strains were also agglutinated by concanavalin A. These lectins also reacted in a similar pattern with lipopolysaccharide extracts of these organisms. The lectin from Bandeiraea simplicifolia precipitated with the lipopolysaccharide antigens of smooth Brucella organisms and with those of serologically cross-reactive strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas maltophilia, Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica but not with antigenically unrelated strains.