[The genetic control of the F1-specific components of the capsular antigen in Yersinia pestis].

The preparation of Y. pestis capsular antigen F1, isolated from Y. pestis Fra-positive strain by Baker's method, has been shown to have a composition and contain three components: protein, glycoprotein and a lipid-containing component. Each of them equally reacts with antibodies to F1 and diagnostic preparations based on these antibodies. The synthesis of protein and glycoprotein is temperature-dependent and controlled by pYT (Caf). The synthesis of glycoprotein is constitutive and determined by chromosomal genes. Protein and glycoprotein have almost identical mol. wt., 18 and 17 kD respectively, but their localization is different: protein is secreted on the surface of bacterial cells and into the environment, while glycoprotein can be found inside the cells and is similar to intracellular glycoprotein of different enterobacteria, described in our earlier works and exhibiting F1 specificity. Different biological role of these F1-specific components is suggested.