Medical Microbiology

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Enterobacteriaceae,Overview 281

Antigenstructure.ThemostimportantantigensoftheEnterobacteriaceae
are:
&Oantigens.Specificpolysaccharidechainsinthelipopolysaccharidecom-
plexoftheoutermembrane(p. 1 56).
&Hantigens.Flagellarantigensconsistingofprotein.
&Kantigens.Linearpolymersoftheoutermembranebuiltupofarepeated
seriesofcarbohydrateunits(sometimesproteinsaswell).Theycancoverthe
celldenselyandrenderthemOinagglutinable(p. 1 55).
&Fantigens.Antigensofproteinattachmentfimbriae.

Escherichiacoli
Fig.4. 17 aGramstainingofaurine
sediment preparation: rounded
gram-negativerods,somecoccoid.
Clinicaldiagnosis:acutecystitis.
bCultureonendoagar,acombined
selective/indicatormedium.Thered
colorofthecolonyandagarindi-
catesthelactosebreakdownpro-
cess.

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Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme

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