Demonstration of a flagellar antigen shared by a diverse group of spiral-shaped bacteria that colonize intestinal mucus.

Western blot analysis showed that there is little immunological cross-reactivity of the human pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli with Campylobacter pyloridis, except for a very strong cross-reaction between the flagellins. This same antigenic cross-reaction was found with two isolates of gram-negative spiral microaerophilic bacteria that are known to colonize the intestinal mucosa of rodents, but not with the flagellins of a number of other motile bacteria. It is proposed that this shared flagellin antigen may be important structurally and functionally.