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Abstract
SUMMARY: The spore, somatic and flagellar antigens of thirty-nine strains of Bacillus polymyxa have been investigated. The three antigens were serologically distinct and differed in thermal stability and in the appearance of the floccules after agglutination. The spore antigen was common to all the thirty-nine strains of B. polymyxa and appears to be species-specific. The somatic antigen was complex and absorption tests failed to show any clear-cut groups. On first isolation the organisms had flagellar antigens which were strain-specific, but after cultivation for some months on nutrient agar, an irreversible phase variation occurred which was associated with the appearance of group antigens. Five group-antigens have been recognized. One antigen was common to nearly all strains of B. polymyxa and also to the seven strains of B. macerans tested. Non-agglutinating antibodies were encountered in some flagellar antisera.
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