Basic Info

Serotype prediction based on their surface antigens, such as O, H, and K antigens.

More Details

The serotype represents the genetic markers displayed by proteins in blood plasma. Due to the genetic polymorphism of some serum proteins, phenotypic differences arise among individuals. Therefore, serotyping has become an important classification method, especially for many foodborne microorganisms such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. This method is also widely used in epidemiological investigations. By determining the serotype of bacteria, we can provide a solid basis for antimicrobial therapy. Specifically, through in-depth analysis of the characteristics of bacterial somatic cells, such as the O antigen, cell surface proteins, H antigen, and K antigen, we can accurately classify bacteria based on their serotypes.

What's New

According to O-specific polysaccharide diversity, Proteus species are divided into 80 different serotypes. Although the O antigen structures of most Proteus serotypes have been identified, the genetic features of these O antigens have not been well characterized. To date, 60 O antigen gene clusters from different Proteus serotypes have been identified (O1-O3, O5-O6, O8-O14, O16-O21, O23-O34, O36-O37, O40-O42, O44-O45, O47-O48, O50-O62, O65, O67, O69, and O71-O75). All these clusters are located between cpxA and secB and contain both wzx and wzy genes. They include genes associated with nucleotide sugar biosynthesis, sugar transfer, O antigen processing, and several other genes. Comparative analysis with known O antigen structures has shown that most gene clusters correlate well with the corresponding structures (57 of 60, 95%). 

Additional Information

NA

Literature

Yu X, Torzewska A, Zhang X, et al. Genetic diversity of the O antigens of Proteus species and the development of a suspension array for molecular serotyping. PLoS One. 2017;12(8):e0183267. Published 2017 Aug 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0183267