Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1969 Jan;97(1):114–120. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.1.114-120.1969

Specificity of Acquired Resistance Produced by Immunization with Mycobacterial Cells and Mycobacterial Fractions

Suzanne Coppel 1, Guy P Youmans 1
PMCID: PMC249557  PMID: 4974383

Abstract

Mice were immunized intraperitoneally with 5.0 mg of living and 5.0 mg of heat-killed H37Ra cells of the attenuated strain Mycobacterium tuberculosis and challenged intraperitoneally with Listeria monocytogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The period of protection provided by the living and heat-killed H37Ra cells against both heterologous infections was the same. When mice were immunized intraperitoneally with graded doses of living and heat-killed H37Ra and challenged intraperitoneally with listeria or klebsiella, the lowest immunizing dose providing protection against both klebsiella and listeria challenge was the same for living and heat-killed cells. Living and heat-killed cells also immunized equally effectively when the routes of immunization and challenge were different. Mice also were immunized intraperitoneally with mycobacterial ribosomal fraction, mycobacterial cell walls, and several nonspecific agents (Escherichia coli endotoxin, mineral oil emulsion, and Freund's incomplete adjuvant). The mice were challenged intraperitoneally with listeria or klebsiella at varying times after immunization. The mycobacterial components and all the nonspecific agents provided transitory protection lasting no longer than 4 days after immunization. Only the mycobacterial cell walls and the endotoxin provided protection against listeria challenge. It was concluded that the protection provided by the mycobacterial ribosomal fraction is specific for tuberculosis infection, since this fraction provided no protection against listeria infection and only transitory protection against klebsiella. It was also concluded that the mycobacterial component providing protection against heterologous infections is heat stable and probably is found in the cell wall.

Full text

PDF
119

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BERTHRONG M., HAMILTON M. A. Tissue culture studies on resistance in tuberculosis. II. Monocytes from normal and immunized guinea pigs infected with virulent human tubercle bacilli. Am Rev Tuberc. 1959 Feb;79(2):221–231. doi: 10.1164/artpd.1959.79.2.221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BOEHME D., DUBOS R. J. The effect of bacterial constituents on the resistance of mice to heterologous infection and on the activity of their reticulo-endothelial system. J Exp Med. 1958 Apr 1;107(4):523–536. doi: 10.1084/jem.107.4.523. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blanden R. V., Mackaness G. B., Collins F. M. Mechanisms of acquired resistance in mouse typhoid. J Exp Med. 1966 Oct 1;124(4):585–600. doi: 10.1084/jem.124.4.585. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DUBOS R. J., SCHAEDLER R. W. Effects of cellular constituents of mycobacteria on the resistance of mice to heterologous infections I. Protective effects. J Exp Med. 1957 Nov 1;106(5):703–717. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.5.703. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ELBERG S. S., FONG J., SCHNEIDER P. Studies on tubercle bacillus-monocyte relationship. I. Quantitative analysis of effect of serum of animals vaccinated with BCG upon bacterium-monocyte system. J Exp Med. 1956 Oct 1;104(4):455–465. doi: 10.1084/jem.104.4.455. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. ELBERG S. S., SCHNEIDER P., FONG J. Cross-immunity between Brucella melitensis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis; intracellular behavior of Brucella melitensis in monocytes from vaccinated animals. J Exp Med. 1957 Oct 1;106(4):545–554. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.4.545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FORBES I. J. INDUCTION OF MITOSIS IN MACROPHAGES BY ENDOTOXIN. J Immunol. 1965 Jan;94:37–39. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GIRARD G., GRUMBACH F. L'infection tuberculeuse de la souris entraine sa résistance à l'infection pesteuse expérimentale. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil. 1958;152(2):280–282. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HENDERSON D. W., LANCASTER M. C., PACKMAN L., PEACOCK S. The influence of a pre-existing respiratory infection on the course of another superimposed by the respiratory route. Br J Exp Pathol. 1956 Dec;37(6):597–611. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. HOWARD J. G., BIOZZI G., HALPERN B. N., STIFFEL C., MOUTON D. The effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (BCG) infection on the resistance of mice to bacterial endotoxin and Salmonella enteritidis infection. Br J Exp Pathol. 1959 Jun;40(3):281–290. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hedgecock L. W. Protective and serologically active fractions from phenol extract of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1965 Dec;92(6):973–978. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1965.92.6P1.973. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. KANAI K., YOUMANS G. P. Immunogenicity of intracellular particles and cell walls from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Bacteriol. 1960 Nov;80:607–614. doi: 10.1128/jb.80.5.607-614.1960. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. MACKANESS G. B. THE IMMUNOLOGICAL BASIS OF ACQUIRED CELLULAR RESISTANCE. J Exp Med. 1964 Jul 1;120:105–120. doi: 10.1084/jem.120.1.105. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. MILLMAN I. Nonspecific resistance to tuberculosis. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1961 May;83:668–675. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1961.83.5.668. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SUTER E. Multiplication of tubercle bacilli within mononuclear phagocytes in tissue cultures derived from normal animals and animals vaccinated with BCG. J Exp Med. 1953 Feb 1;97(2):235–245. doi: 10.1084/jem.97.2.235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SUTER E., WHITE R. G. The response of the reticulo-endothelial system to the injection of the purified wax and the lipopolysaccharide of tubercle bacilli; a histologic and an immunologic study. Am Rev Tuberc. 1954 Nov;70(5):793–805. doi: 10.1164/art.1954.70.5.793. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. WEISS D. W., BONHAG R. S., PARKS J. A. STUDIES ON THE HETEROLOGOUS IMMUNOGENICITY OF A MENTHANOL-INSOLUBLE FRACTION OF ATTENUATED TUBERCLE BACILLI (BCG). I. ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTION. J Exp Med. 1964 Jan 1;119:53–70. doi: 10.1084/jem.119.1.53. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. WEISS D. W. Enhanced resistance of mice to infection with Pasteurella pestis following vaccination with fractions of phenol-killed tubercle bacilli. Nature. 1960 Jun 25;186:1060–1061. doi: 10.1038/1861060a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. WILLIAMS C. A., Jr, DUBOS R. J. Studies on fractions of methanol extracts of tubercle bacilli. I. Fractions which increase resistance to infection. J Exp Med. 1959 Dec 1;110:981–1004. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.6.981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. YOUMANS A. S., YOUMANS G. P. FURTHER STUDIES ON A LABILE IMMUNOGENIC PARTICULATE SUBSTANCE ISOLATED FROM MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Feb;87:278–285. doi: 10.1128/jb.87.2.278-285.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. YOUMANS A. S., YOUMANS G. P. IMMUNOGENIC ACTIVITY OF A RIBOSOMAL FRACTION OBTAINED FROM MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. J Bacteriol. 1965 May;89:1291–1298. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.5.1291-1298.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. YOUMANS A. S., YOUMANS G. P. NATURE OF THE LABILE IMMUNOGENIC SUBSTANCE IN THE PARTICULATE FRACTION ISOLATED FROM MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Oct;88:1030–1037. doi: 10.1128/jb.88.4.1030-1037.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Youmans A. S., Youmans G. P. Effect of trypsin and ribonuclease on the immunogenic activity of ribosomes and ribonucleic acid isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jun;91(6):2146–2154. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.6.2146-2154.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Youmans A. S., Youmans G. P. Preparation and effect of different adjuvants on the immunogenic activity of mycobacterial ribosomal fraction. J Bacteriol. 1967 Oct;94(4):836–843. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.4.836-843.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Youmans A. S., Youmans G. P. Preparation of highly immunogenic ribosomal fractions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by use of sodium dodecyl sulfate. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jun;91(6):2139–2145. doi: 10.1128/jb.91.6.2139-2145.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Youmans G. P., Youmans A. S. Immunizing capacity of viable and killed attenuated mycobacterial cells against experimental tuberculous infection. J Bacteriol. 1969 Jan;97(1):107–113. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.1.107-113.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Youmans G. P., Youmans A. S. Nonspecific factors in resistance of mice to experimental tuberculosis. J Bacteriol. 1965 Dec;90(6):1675–1681. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.6.1675-1681.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES