Reeves P
Dept of Microbiology (G08), University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Trends Microbiol. 1995 Oct;3(10):381-6. doi: 10.1016/s0966-842x(00)88983-0.
The O antigen is an extremely variable surface polysaccharide of Gram-negative bacteria. This variation is thought to allow the various clones of a species each to present a surface that offers a selective advantage in the niche occupied by that clone. The interactions between O antigen and the immune system are central to determining the selective advantage of each clone.
O抗原是革兰氏阴性菌表面一种极易变异的多糖。这种变异被认为能使一个物种的各个克隆体都呈现出一种表面,从而在该克隆体所占据的生态位中提供一种选择优势。O抗原与免疫系统之间的相互作用对于确定每个克隆体的选择优势至关重要。