Antigenic studies on Rhizopus microsporus, Rh. rhizopodiformis, progeny and intermediates (Rh. chinensis)

ourteen isolates belonging to Rhizopus microsporus, Rh. rhizopodiformis, the progeny of Rh. microsporus x Rh. rhizopodiformis and an intermediate species, Rh. chinensis, were serologically tested either by a modification of the exoantigen technique of Kaufman & Standard (1978) or by the more analytical cross immunoelectrophoresis technique with intermediate gel. Common antigenic determinants in the isolates studied indicated that the species, their progeny and the intermediate species Rh. chinensis, are antigenically very closely related. Through absorptions, a specific reference antiserum for Rh. microsporus was obtained. With this adsorbed monospecific antiserum, using the exoantigen test, the identity of the isolates in study, determined after their general morphology as Rh. microsporus, was confirmed. For comparative purposes, the use of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography for the investigation of fungal isolates is also reported.