The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 27, Issue 2 145-151, Copyright © 1988 by Society for General Microbiology
Serological variation in oral Streptococcus milleri
T. Yakushiji, R. Konagawa, M. Oda and M. Inoue
Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kagoshima University Dental School, Japan.
Serological variation in 71 oral isolates and three reference strains of
Streptococcus milleri was examined. Antisera were raised by immunising
rabbits with cells of 10 selected strains, followed by absorption of
non-specific antibodies. Double diffusion of the typing sera and the Rantz
and Randall extracts of the strains in agar gel demonstrated that 70
strains were divided into 10 serotypes (a-j) on the basis of cell-surface
carbohydrate antigens. Only four strains were untypable. The typing scheme
proposed depends on type antigens other than the Lancefield group antigens
A, C, F, G and others, although strains belonging to the serotypes a, c and
f strictly corresponded to those of the groups A, C and F respectively.
Close correlation between the present serotyping scheme and the previously
proposed biotyping scheme for S. milleri was demonstrated. Distribution of
these strains in dental plaque obtained from young adults was also
investigated.
