Variation in Rumen Butyrivibrio Strains

Margherita, S. S. (University of California, Davis), R. E. Hungate, and Hannelore Storz. Variation in rumen Butyrivibrio strains. J. Bacteriol. 87:1304-1308. 1964.-Five strains of Butyrivibrio isolated from the rumen of a single animal on an alfalfa hay ration were tested for serological relationships by agglutination and immunofluorescence. The main finding was a serological monospecificity of the strains. A cross-reaction between two strains was detected by agglutination and a second cross-reaction by immunofluorescence, but the cross-reacting pairs were different. Two years after the strains were isolated, fluorescein-conjugated antisera against three of them were used to test rumen contents of the same animal for homologous cell types. None was found. The findings indicate great variability in the serological characteristics of rumen butyrivibrios.