Hemagglutinating activity in phytopathogenic bacteria surface compounds

Extracellular components of plant pathogenic bacteria were obtained from their culture medium as well as from the whole cells by using NaCl 1 M, pH 6.0; 20% sucrose dissolved in 0.03 M Tris buffer, pH 8.0; or 0.05 M Na2EDTA. All the extracts from Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris, Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli, Pseudomonas solanacearum, and Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica, were assayed for hemagglutinating activity on sheep, rabbit and chicken red blood cells (RBCs). The only active extracts were those obtained by NaCl treatment. They agglutinated sheep and rabbit erythrocytes. Extracts from E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica gave rise to the high agglutination titer on rabbit RBCs. These extracts had the lowest polysaccharide/protein ratio. E. carotovora subsp. carotovora extracts showed only a low titer (18.5 units). The agglutinating activity present in NaCl extracts of the bacteria tested was inhibited by different carbohydrates to various extent. Extracts from E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica appeared to be the most sensitive ones while those of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora least sensitive to the presence of sugar. It is suggested that hemagglutinins observed in plant pathogenic bacteria and those in plant host are similar and that both may, in some way, be involved in the plant-parasite relationship.