Studies on corynebacterial precipitinogens common to Mycobacteria, Nocardiae and rhodochrous.

Ten strains of Corynebacterium were analyzed by means of the comparative immunodiffusion technique employing reference precipitation systems from strains of Mycobacterium, Nocardia and the rhodochrous taxon. The test strains had precipitinogens in common with the reference strains. Two of the intergenerical cross-reacting precipitinogens revealed were labelled x and y. Two other precipitinogens (alpha,beta), earlier found to be common for strains of mycobacteria, nocardiae, and rhodochrous, were not demonstrated in the corynebacterial strains, thus indicating a qualitative or quantitative serological difference between Corynebacterium and the other taxa. It was furthermore shown that the corynebacterial preparations reacted with antisera against ribosomal 30S fractions from mycobacteria. Common precipitinogens in ribosomal preparations from mycobacteria, nocardiae, rhodochrous, and corynebacteria are discussed.