Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1986 Sep;53(3):595–599. doi: 10.1128/iai.53.3.595-599.1986

Interaction of purified lipoteichoic acid with the classical complement pathway.

M Loos, F Clas, W Fischer
PMCID: PMC260832  PMID: 3488963

Abstract

Glycerophosphate-containing lipoteichoic acids (LTAs) interact with the first component of the classical complement pathway (C1). This resulted in the activation of the classical complement pathway in serum, shown by the consumption of C1, C2, and C4. The dose-dependent interaction of LTAs with purified C1 and C1q was dependent on the negative charges of the phosphate groups of LTA. It was reduced by charge compensation through D-alanine ester substituents and by sterical hindrance through di- and trihexosyl residues linked to position 2 of the glycerol moieties. The charge density of LTA may also play a role: poly(digalactosylglycerophosphate) LTAs, in which the phosphate groups are in a greater distance from each other, were less effective, and the loss of micellar organization by deacylation of LTA drastically reduced the complement activation capacity.

Full text

PDF
595

Selected References

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

  1. Alkan M. L., Beachey E. H. Excretion of lipoteichoic acid by group A streptococci. Influence of penicillin on excretion and loss of ability to adhere to human oral mucosal cells. J Clin Invest. 1978 Mar;61(3):671–677. doi: 10.1172/JCI108979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beachey E. H., Dale J. B., Grebe S., Ahmed A., Simpson W. A., Ofek I. Lymphocytes binding and T cell mitogenic properties of group A streptococcal lipoteichoic acid. J Immunol. 1979 Jan;122(1):189–195. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beachey E. H., Dale J. B., Simpson W. A., Evans J. D., Knox K. W., Ofek I., Wicken A. J. Erythrocyte binding properties of streptococcal lipoteichoic acids. Infect Immun. 1979 Mar;23(3):618–625. doi: 10.1128/iai.23.3.618-625.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Briles E. B., Tomasz A. Pneumococcal Forssman antigen. A choline-containing lipoteichoic acid. J Biol Chem. 1973 Sep 25;248(18):6394–6397. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brundish D. E., Baddiley J. Pneumococcal C-substance, a ribitol teichoic acid containing choline phosphate. Biochem J. 1968 Dec;110(3):573–582. doi: 10.1042/bj1100573. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chevion M., Panos C., Linzer R., Neuhaus F. C. Incorporation of D-alanine into the membrane of Streptococcus pyogenes and its stabilized L-form. J Bacteriol. 1974 Dec;120(3):1026–1032. doi: 10.1128/jb.120.3.1026-1032.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Colten H. R., Bond H. E., Borsos T., Rapp H. J. Purification of the first component of complement by zonal ultracentrifugation. J Immunol. 1969 Oct;103(4):862–865. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Courtney H. S., Simpson W. A., Beachey E. H. Relationship of critical micelle concentrations of bacterial lipoteichoic acids to biological activities. Infect Immun. 1986 Feb;51(2):414–418. doi: 10.1128/iai.51.2.414-418.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Duckworth M., Archibald A. R., Baddiley J. Lipoteichoic acid and lipoteichoic acid carrier in Staphylococcus aureus H. FEBS Lett. 1975 May 1;53(2):176–179. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(75)80013-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fiedel B. A., Jackson R. W. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by a streptococcal lipoteichoic acid. Infect Immun. 1978 Oct;22(1):286–287. doi: 10.1128/iai.22.1.286-287.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fischer W., Koch H. U., Haas R. Improved preparation of lipoteichoic acids. Eur J Biochem. 1983 Jul 1;133(3):523–530. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1983.tb07495.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fischer W., Koch H. U., Rösel P., Fiedler F., Schmuck L. Structural requirements of lipoteichoic acid carrier for recognition by the poly(ribitol phosphate) polymerase from Staphylococcus aureus H. A study of various lipoteichoic acids, derivatives, and related compounds. J Biol Chem. 1980 May 25;255(10):4550–4556. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fischer W., Nakano M., Laine R. A., Bohrer W. On the relationship between glycerophosphoglycolipids and lipoteichoic acids in Gram-positive bacteria. I. The occurrence of phosphoglycolipids. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1978 Mar 30;528(3):288–297. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(78)90018-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fischer W., Rösel P., Koch H. U. Effect of alanine ester substitution and other structural features of lipoteichoic acids on their inhibitory activity against autolysins of Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol. 1981 May;146(2):467–475. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.2.467-475.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fischer W., Rösel P. The alanine ester substitution of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in Staphylococcus aureus. FEBS Lett. 1980 Oct 6;119(2):224–226. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(80)80257-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Golan M. D., Hitschold T., Loos M. The reconstitution of human C1, the first complement component: binding of C1r and C1s to C1q influences the C1q conformation. FEBS Lett. 1981 Jun 15;128(2):281–285. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(81)80099-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Haberland M. E., Reynolds J. A. Interaction of L-alpha-palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine with the AI polypeptide of high density lipoprotein. J Biol Chem. 1975 Sep 10;250(17):6636–6639. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Horne D., Tomasz A. Release of lipoteichoic acid from Streptococcus sanguis: stimulation of release during penicillin treatment. J Bacteriol. 1979 Mar;137(3):1180–1184. doi: 10.1128/jb.137.3.1180-1184.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hummell D. S., Swift A. J., Tomasz A., Winkelstein J. A. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by pneumococcal lipoteichoic acid. Infect Immun. 1985 Feb;47(2):384–387. doi: 10.1128/iai.47.2.384-387.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Joseph R., Shockman G. D. Synthesis and excretion of glycerol teichoic acid during growth of two streptococcal species. Infect Immun. 1975 Aug;12(2):333–338. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.2.333-338.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Koch H. U., Fischer W. Acyldiglucosyldiacylglycerol-containing lipoteichoic acid with a poly(3-O-galabiosyl-2-O-galactosyl-sn-glycero-1-phosphate) chain from Streptococcus lactis Kiel 42172. Biochemistry. 1978 Nov 28;17(24):5275–5281. doi: 10.1021/bi00617a030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Koch H. U., Fischer W., Fiedler F. Influence of alanine ester and glycosyl substitution on the lipoteichoic acid carrier activity of lipoteichoic acids. J Biol Chem. 1982 Aug 25;257(16):9473–9479. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Lambert P. A., Hancock I. C., Baddiley J. Occurrence and function of membrane teichoic acids. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 May 31;472(1):1–12. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(77)90012-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Loos M. Antibody-independent activation of C1, the first component of complement. Ann Immunol (Paris) 1982 Mar-Apr;133C(2):165–179. doi: 10.1016/0769-2625(82)90030-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. MCCARTY M. THE ROLE OF D-ALANINE IN THE SEROLOGICAL SPECIFICITY OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCAL GLYCEROL TEICHOIC ACID. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1964 Aug;52:259–265. doi: 10.1073/pnas.52.2.259. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Markham J. L., Knox K. W., Wicken A. J., Hewett M. J. Formation of extracellular lipoteichoic acid by oral streptococci and lactobacilli. Infect Immun. 1975 Aug;12(2):378–386. doi: 10.1128/iai.12.2.378-386.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Saulsbury F. T., Winkelstein J. A. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by L-phase variants of gram-positive bacteria. Infect Immun. 1979 Mar;23(3):711–716. doi: 10.1128/iai.23.3.711-716.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Silvestri L. J., Knox K. W., Wicken A. J., Hoffmann E. M. Inhibition of complement-mediated lysis of sheep erythrocytes by cell-free preparations from Streptococcus mutans BHT. J Immunol. 1979 Jan;122(1):54–60. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Slabyj B. M., Panos C. Teichoic acid of a stabilized L-form of Streptococcus pyogenes. J Bacteriol. 1973 Jun;114(3):934–942. doi: 10.1128/jb.114.3.934-942.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Smith R., Tanford C. The critical micelle concentration of L- -dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in water and water-methanol solutions. J Mol Biol. 1972 Jun 14;67(1):75–83. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(72)90387-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Stemmer F., Loos M. Purification and characterization of human, guinea pig and mouse C1q by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). J Immunol Methods. 1984 Nov 16;74(1):9–16. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(84)90361-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tauber J. W., Polley M. J., Zabriskie J. B. Nonspecific complement activation by streptococcal structures. II. Properdin-independent initiation of the alternate pathway. J Exp Med. 1976 Jun 1;143(6):1352–1366. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.6.1352. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Van Driel D., Wicken A. J., Dickson M. R., Knox K. W. Cellular location of the lipoteichoic acids of Lactobacillus fermenti NCTC 6991 and Lactobacillus casei NCTC 6375. J Ultrastruct Res. 1973 Jun;43(5):483–497. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5320(73)90025-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Verbrugh H. A., van Dijk W. C., Peters R., van Erne M. E., Daha M. R., Peterson P. K., Verhoef J. Opsonic recognition of staphylococci mediated by cell wall peptidoglycan: antibody-independent activation of human complement and opsonic activity of peptidoglycan antibodies. J Immunol. 1980 Mar;124(3):1167–1173. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Wicken A. J., Evans J. D., Knox K. W. Critical micelle concentrations of lipoteichoic acids. J Bacteriol. 1986 Apr;166(1):72–77. doi: 10.1128/jb.166.1.72-77.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Wicken A. J., Knox K. W. Lipoteichoic acids: a new class of bacterial antigen. Science. 1975 Mar 28;187(4182):1161–1167. doi: 10.1126/science.46620. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Wilkinson B. J., Kim Y., Peterson P. K. Factors affecting complement activation by Staphylococcus aureus cell walls, their components, and mutants altered in teichoic acid. Infect Immun. 1981 Apr;32(1):216–224. doi: 10.1128/iai.32.1.216-224.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Wilkinson B. J., Kim Y., Peterson P. K., Quie P. G., Michael A. F. Activation of complement by cell surface components of Staphylococcus aureus. Infect Immun. 1978 May;20(2):388–392. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.2.388-392.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Winkelstein J. A., Tomasz A. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by pneumococcal cell wall teichoic acid. J Immunol. 1978 Jan;120(1):174–178. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES