Some antigenic properties of cultured cell and bacteroid forms of fast- and slow-growing strains of Lotus rhizobia.

Immunodiffusion cross-reactions of 62 fast- and 76 slow-growing of Lotus rhizobia with antisera to four of the fast-growing and five of the slow-growing strains were studied. No sharing of antigens by both fast- and slow-growing strains was found. Somatic antigens were very strain specific with only eight of the fast-growing and five of the slow-growing strains tested having somatic antigens identical to those of one or more of the strains of the same group used for antisera production. In contrast, internal antigens were shared by all fast-growing strains and with seven exceptions by all slow-growing strains. Antigens of cultured rhizobia, and bacteroids from nodules formed on different legumes by the same strain of Rhizobium, were similar. However, incontrast to cultured cells, bacteroids generally required no pretreatment (heat or ultrasonic disruption) to give a strong somatic antigen reaction in immunodiffusions.