Salmonella transductants and recombinants differing the O-antigenic side chain of their lipopolysaccharide are taken up at different rates by the murine macrophage-like cell line J774. Bacteria containing abequose, mannose, rhamnose, and galactose in O-antigenic side chain were taken up at the slowest rate; the one containing tyvelose instead of abequose was taken up at an intermediate rate; and the one containing mannose, N-acetylglucosamine, and glucose, instead of the above sequence, was taken up at the highest rate. These rates correlate well with the known virulence of these strains; the most virulent is the one taken up slowest, the one taken up at an intermediate rate is less virulent, and the one taken up fastest is the least virulent. The differences in ingestion rates reflect differences in affinity of the bacteria for the macrophages and not in the rate of ingestion once interaction has occurred, suggesting a receptor-mediated process. The majority of uptake is probably dependent on complement, as shown by the requirement for a serum component(s) destroyed by heating at 56 degrees C or by incubation with zymosan. Specific antibody is not required. We therefore postulate that relative virulence in vivo may reflect the relative ability of the polysaccharide of bacterial lipopolysaccharide to activate complement, thus determining the susceptibility of the bacteria to ingestion via the complement receptor of phagocytic cells.