Identification of Flagellar (H) antigenci subfactors in Bacillus thuringiensis H serotypes 10, 18, and 24 isolated in Japan

A total of 95 Bacillus thuringiensis strains isolated from Japan and belonging to H serotypes 10, 18 and 24, were examined for their H antigenic subfactors. Of 84 H serotype 10 isolates, 83 were identified as the H serotype 10a: 10b (serovar darmstadiensis) and only one isolate was assigned to the H serotype 10a: 10c (serovar londrina). Among five isolates belonging to the H serotype 18, three were allocated to the H serotype 18a: 18b (serovar kumamotoensis), while two isolates did not react to antisera against the two known H antigenic subfactors, 18b and 18c. All of the six H serotype 24 isolates were assigned to the H serotype 24a: 24b (serovar neoleonensis).