Studies on specificity of protection induced by immunization with outer membrane proteins of Shigella.

Immunization of C3H/HeJ mice with outer membrane proteins (OMP) and with peptidoglycan associated proteins (PGP) isolated from Shigella flexneri 3a and from Shigella sonnei phase I protected the animals against lethal dose of homologous and heterologous bacteria and against various serotypes of Shigella flexneri. Neither of the protein preparations protected the animals against challenge with Escherichia, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Salmonella, Serratia, Proteus and Pseudomonas. OMP preparations however, isolated from these species protected the animals not only against challenge with homologous bacteria but also against Shigella flexneri 3a.