Rapid serological analysis of bacterial lipopolysaccharides by electrotransfer to nitrocellulose

Techniques are described for the rapid screening of proteinase K-treated bacterial lysates by electroblot and immunoenzymatic detection to assess O-specificity of antigens and antisera. Conditions are outlined which permit the use of a single polyacrylamide gel for both electrotransfer to nitrocellulose and silver staining. Immunodetection of transferred LPS bands was equally sensitive to silver stain when whole cell or O-specific antisera were used. The techniques were utilized to identify at least 4 O-serotypes among sorbitol fermenting isolates of the fish pathogen, Yersinia ruckeri. Observed variations in the electrophoretic mobilities of lipopolysaccharides from 17 field isolates of Y. ruckeri were used to accurately predict the O-serotype.