This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gaston, M A Articles by Pitt, T L Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gaston, M A Articles by Pitt, T L

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Clin Microbiol. 1989 December; 27(12): 2702-2705

Improved O-serotyping method for Serratia marcescens.

Central Public Health Laboratory, London, England.

ABSTRACT

In a previous study, we found that some O serotypes of Serratia marcescens, as defined by agglutination tests, were not based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigens. We developed a dot enzyme immunoassay with a high degree of LPS specificity and tested 104 distinct clinical strains. Only 7 of the 24 existing O antigens were found in more than one strain: O12/O14 (30.8% of strains examined), O21 (12.5%), O8 (8.7%), O6/O7 (5.8%), O4 (3.8%), O18 (2.9%), and O9 (2.9%). Two new antigens, S1254 (13.5%) and S3255 (3.8%), were also found. Agglutination tests with O antisera identified the LPS antigen in only 36 strains. Prodigiosin production was restricted to serotypes O8, O6, and S3255 and strains with a rough or semirough LPS phenotype. Dot immunoassay appears to offer greater accuracy than agglutination tests for serotype identification in S. marcescens.