[Use of synthetic antigens in studies of antigenic specificity of Proteus mirabilis 027 lipopolysaccharide].

The frequency of occurrence in clinical material of P. mirabilis strains belonging to serogroup 27 shows the need of identification of their antigenic determinant. Earlier examinations established the chemical structure of the O-specific part of P. mirabilis 027 lipopolysaccharide and showed the significant role of the lateral GlcNAc as well as the participation of P-EtN in determining antigenic specificity of this strain. Using synthetic antigens, analogues of the O-specific part of P. mirabilis 027, 028 and S1959 lipopolysaccharides linked to acrylamide allowed to undertake the further characteristics of the specificity of antibodies in rabbit serum against P. mirabilis 027. Serological studies (EIA, passive hemolysis and their inhibition) confirmed earlier foundings about the role of GlcNAc and P-EtN, but they did not determine the epitope in 027 antigen. The achieved results prove the importance of a wider epitope, containing at least 3 compounds: GlcNAc, GlcA and L-Lys, in the antigenic specificity of P. mirabilis 027.