[Specificity of lectin receptors of cholera vibrios]

Spectrum of carbohydrate specificity of lectin receptors of epidemically significant cholera vibrios (ctx(+) tcp(+) Hly(-)) as well as non epidemic hemolytic variants with or without tcp A gene (ctx(-) tcp(-) Hly(+), ctx(-) tcp(+) Hly(+)) was studied under the carbohydrates-mediated inhibition of hemagglutination between human erythrocytes of four blood groups and sheep erythrocytes. It was demonstrated that in toxigenic cultures lectin receptors specific for glucose, mannose, sacharose, lactose dominate whereas receptors specific for aminosugars are virtually absent. The latter are detected in hemolytic vibrios that can explain their ecologic flexibility.