Contractile-tailed bacteriophages adsorb toEscherichia coliO128ab lipopolysaccharide that is altered by large plasmids to provide receptors and lipopolysaccharide heterogeneity within the serogroup

Abstract

The verotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain H.I.8 (originally O128:B12, now not typeable) contained a ColB+M plasmid and two morphologically identical temperate bacteriophages (HI8A and HI8B). Both phages were O128ab specific, using the lipopolysaccharide O side chains of susceptible clinical isolates as receptors. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with silver staining of O128ab lipopolysaccharide revealed four distinct types of ladder with different interband spacings. No specificity was found between ladder type and sensitivity to either phage. One of the numerous large plasmids present in O128ab isolates was found to modify the structure of the lipopolysaccharide O side chains to provide phage receptors.Key words: bacteriophage, plasmid, lipopolysaccharide, O antigen.