Immunochemical evidence for multiple serotypes of Bacteroides fragilis.

An immunochemical comparison of outer membrane antigens obtained from five select and biochemically defined strains indicated that there are several serotypes of Bacteroides fragilis. Each strain was serologically defined by individual or by combinations of determinant groups composed of carbohydrates in the form of polysaccharides or glycoproteins. The carbohydrate constituents were tentatively identified as glucose, galactose, fucose, rhamnose, glucosamine, galactosamine, and traces of mannose. Strains were observed to have minor qualitative and major quantitative variations in carbohydrate composition.