BACKGROUND Proteus sp. strains isolated from patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) are often insensitive to the bactericidal action of normal human serum (NHS) which poses a clinical problem. The swarming phenomenon is an especially important factor in cases of UTIs gained through the ascending route. Both these virulence factors are connected with the cell surface components of bacteria,...

The unique feature of some Proteus O-polysaccharides is occurrence of an amide of galacturonic acid with N(ε)-[(S/R)-1-Carboxyethyl]-L-lysine, GalA6(2S,8S/R-AlaLys). The results of the serological studies presented here, with reference to known O-antigens structures suggest that GalA6(2S,8S/R-AlaLys) or 2S,8R-AlaLys contribute to cross-reactions of O13 Proteus antisera, and Proteeae LPSs. It wa...

The core region of the lipopolysaccharides of Proteus group OX bacteria, which are used as antigens in Weil-Felix test for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis, were studied by chemical degradations in combination with ESI FTMS, including infrared multi-photon dissociation (IRMPD) MS/MS and capillary skimmer dissociation. Structural variants of the inner core region were found to be the same as in Pr...