Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1985 Jul;49(1):19–24. doi: 10.1128/iai.49.1.19-24.1985

Antibody-independent and -dependent opsonization of group B Streptococcus requires the first component of complement C1.

N J Levy, D L Kasper
PMCID: PMC262051  PMID: 3891622

Abstract

The role of the classical complement pathway and specifically the first component, C1 in antibody-independent opsonization of type Ia group B Streptococcus (GBS) was investigated. For these studies a radiolabeled bacterial uptake assay was developed that was dependent on time and bacterial concentration and that required an intact classical complement pathway. To directly investigate the role of C1 in opsonization of type Ia GBS, C1 was isolated by chromatography on an immunoglobulin G (IgG) affinity column and further purified by molecular sieve chromatography on an Ultrogel AcA 22 column. When normal human serum was absorbed with 10(9) CFU of type Ia or III GBS, the serum opsonic capacity diminished (33 to 34%) for type Ia GBS compared with unadsorbed serum. Preincubation of the bacteria with purified C1 (10(4)U of C1 per ml) restored the opsonizing capacity of the adsorbed serum. A C1-depleted serum was prepared from the nonadherent fractions of the CH-sepharose 4B IgG column which only contained 5 U of C1 per ml. Substitution of C1-depleted reagent for normal serum in the uptake assay resulted in dramatic decreases in the opsonization of type Ia GBS, but opsonization could be restored by preincubation of the bacteria with purified C1. Heat-inactivated C1 depleted serum did not support opsonization of type Ia GBS, even with the addition of C1. Preincubation of type Ia GBS with heat-inactivated hyperimmune sera did not result in opsonization of type Ia GBS in the presence of C1-depleted serum. However, opsonization could be restored by the addition of C1, and the effects of C1 and antibody were additive. These results indicate the critical role of C1 in direct activation of the classical complement pathway by type Ia GBS and in antibody-mediated opsonization of the bacteria.

Full text

PDF
19

Selected References

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

  1. Allred C. D., Shigeoka A. O., Hill H. R. Evaluation of group B streptococcal opsonins by radiolabeled bacterial uptake. J Immunol Methods. 1979;26(4):355–363. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(79)90181-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anthony B. F. Immunity to the group B streptococci: interaction of serum and macrophages with types Ia, Ib, and Ic. J Exp Med. 1976 May 1;143(5):1186–1198. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.5.1186. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Arlaud G. J., Reboul A., Colomb M. G. Proenzymic C1s associated with catalytic amounts of C1r. Study of the activation process. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1977 Nov 23;485(1):227–235. doi: 10.1016/0005-2744(77)90209-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baker C. J., Edwards M. S., Webb B. J., Kasper D. L. Antibody-independent classical pathway-mediated opsonophagocytosis of type Ia, group B streptococcus. J Clin Invest. 1982 Feb;69(2):394–404. doi: 10.1172/JCI110463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Correlation of maternal antibody deficiency with susceptibility to neonatal group B streptococcal infection. N Engl J Med. 1976 Apr 1;294(14):753–756. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197604012941404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Baltimore R. S., Kasper D. L., Baker C. J., Goroff D. K. Antigenic specificity of opsonophagocytic antibodies in rabbit anti-sera to group B streptococci. J Immunol. 1977 Feb;118(2):673–678. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bing D. H. Purification of the first component of human complement by affinity chromatography on human globulin linked to sepharose. J Immunol. 1971 Nov;107(5):1243–1249. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Borsos T., Rapp H. J. Hemolysin titration based on fixation of the activated first component of complement: evidence that one molecule of hemolysin suffices to sensitize an erythrocyte. J Immunol. 1965 Sep;95(3):559–566. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eads M. E., Levy N. J., Kasper D. L., Baker C. J., Nicholson-Weller A. Antibody-independent activation of C1 by type Ia group B streptococci. J Infect Dis. 1982 Nov;146(5):665–672. doi: 10.1093/infdis/146.5.665. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Edwards M. S., Buffone G. J., Fuselier P. A., Weeks J. L., Baker C. J. Deficient classical complement pathway activity in newborn sera. Pediatr Res. 1983 Aug;17(8):685–688. doi: 10.1203/00006450-198308000-00017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hemming V. G., Hall R. T., Rhodes P. G., Shigeoka A. O., Hill H. R. Assessment of group B streptococcal opsonins in human and rabbit serum by neutrophil chemiluminescence. J Clin Invest. 1976 Dec;58(6):1379–1387. doi: 10.1172/JCI108593. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LEPOW I. H., NAFF G. B., TODD E. W., PENSKY J., HINZ C. F. Chromatographic resolution of the first component of human complement into three activities. J Exp Med. 1963 Jun 1;117:983–1008. doi: 10.1084/jem.117.6.983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lancefield R. C., McCarty M., Everly W. N. Multiple mouse-protective antibodies directed against group B streptococci. Special reference to antibodies effective against protein antigens. J Exp Med. 1975 Jul 1;142(1):165–179. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Leijh P. C., van den Barselaar M. T., Daha M. R., van Furth R. Participation of immunoglobulins and complement components in the intracellular killing of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by human granulocytes. Infect Immun. 1981 Sep;33(3):714–724. doi: 10.1128/iai.33.3.714-724.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Levy N. J., Nicholson-Weller A., Baker C. J., Kasper D. L. Potentiation of virulence by group B streptococcal polysaccharides. J Infect Dis. 1984 Jun;149(6):851–860. doi: 10.1093/infdis/149.6.851. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Medicus R. G., Chapuis R. M. The first component of complement. I. Purification and properties of native C1. J Immunol. 1980 Jul;125(1):390–395. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nelson R. A., Jr, Jensen J., Gigli I., Tamura N. Methods for the separation, purification and measurement of nine components of hemolytic complement in guinea-pig serum. Immunochemistry. 1966 Mar;3(2):111–135. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(66)90292-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES