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Abstract
Summary: A soap-tolerant organism, commonly found in face-flannels and sponges, was compared with Bacterium anitratum, Moraxella Iwoffi var. brevis and Alcaligenes viscosus. These organisms have many characters in common. It is proposed that Bacterium anitratum and related organisms should be included in the family Achromobacteriaceae and that the soap-tolerant organism be considered a new variety of B. anitratum with the provisional name Achromobacter anitratum var. saponiphilum. Some problems of classification of these and similar organisms are discussed.
The soap-tolerant organism had two major antigens; one was associated with the capsule and largely strain specific, the other was common to all strains and was present also in non-capsulated variants. Both antigens were detached from the cell on heating, the specific antigen partially and the common antigen almost completely; they could be demonstrated in the saline medium after suspensions had been heated at 100° for 60 min. and though detached from the cell, could still stimulate antibody formation. There was an antigenic relationship between the soap tolerant organisms and Bacterium anitratum.
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