Immunochemical characterization of rough Brucella lipopolysaccharides.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were extracted from rough strains of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis and from strains of the naturally occurring rough species Brucella ovis and Brucella canis. Brucella rough lipopolysaccharides (R-LPS) were readily distinguished from Brucella smooth lipopolysaccharides (S-LPS) and enterobacterial R-LPS, by their chemical, physical, and serological characteristics. B. ovis R-LPS was differentiated from B. abortus, B. melitensis, and B. canis R-LPS by its reaction of partial identity in immunodiffusion. Monospecific mouse sera against B. ovis R-LPS agglutinated only the homologous bacteria but not R cells of other species of Brucella. B. ovis R-LPS contained more 2-keto, 3-deoxyoctonate, and glucosamine as a percentage of dry weight than any other R-LPS tested. B. abortus R-LPS was identified by the absence of an unidentified sugar present in the other R-LPS molecules, and B. melitensis R-LPS could be differentiated from B. canis R-LPS by its higher content of fatty acids. In contrast to S-LPS, all of the R-LPS studied lacked quinovosamine. In electron micrographs, Brucella R-LPS had a granular appearance, in contrast to typical lamellar structures formed by Brucella S-LPS and Escherichia coli R-LPS.