Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1982 Feb;35(2):721–729. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.2.721-729.1982

Antigenic analysis of Legionella pneumophila and Tatlockia micdadei (Legionella micdadei) by two-dimensional (crossed) immunoelectrophoresis.

J R Joly, G E Kenny
PMCID: PMC351101  PMID: 6173328

Abstract

The antigens of the six serogroups of Legionella pneumophila were compared by two-dimensional (crossed) immunoelectrophoresis by using rabbit antisera to serogroups 1, 2, 3 and 4. The close relationship among the serogroups was shown by the fact that 27 of the 31 antigens demonstrated so far were common. However, distinctive group-specific antigens with slow electrophoretic mobility were observed for serogroups 1, 2, 3, and 4. When intact serogroup 1 organisms were extracted with EDTA, the group-specific antigen was recovered in a virtually pure form. The group-specific antigen was pronase resistant, heat stable, and amphiphilic and had a surface location, all of which are properties suggestive of lipopolysaccharide. L. pneumophila shared four to five antigens with Tatlockia micdadei (Legionella micdadei). The large number of common antigens in the serogroups of L. pneumophila has important implications for the specific detection of antigens and antibodies by fluorescent and other tagged antibody methods.

Full text

PDF
721

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Alexander A. G., Kenny G. E. Application of charge shift electrophoresis to antigenic analysis of mycoplasmic membranes by two-dimensional (crossed) immunoelectrophoresis. Infect Immun. 1978 Jun;20(3):861–863. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.3.861-863.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Axelsen N. H. Intermediate gel in crossed and in fused rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Scand J Immunol Suppl. 1973;1:71–77. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1973.tb03782.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brenner D. J., Steigerwalt A. G., McDade J. E. Classification of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium: Legionella pneumophila, genus novum, species nova, of the family Legionellaceae, familia nova. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):656–658. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-656. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cherry W. B., Pittman B., Harris P. P., Hebert G. A., Thomason B. M., Thacker L., Weaver R. E. Detection of Legionnaires disease bacteria by direct immunofluorescent staining. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Sep;8(3):329–338. doi: 10.1128/jcm.8.3.329-338.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Elliott J. A., Johnson W., Helms C. M. Ultrastructural localization and protective activity of a high-molecular-weight antigen isolated from Legionella pneumophila. Infect Immun. 1981 Feb;31(2):822–824. doi: 10.1128/iai.31.2.822-824.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. England A. C., 3rd, McKinney R. M., Skaliy P., Gorman G. W. A fifth serogroup of Legionella pneumophila. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Jul;93(1):58–59. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-93-1-58. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fraser D. W., Tsai T. R., Orenstein W., Parkin W. E., Beecham H. J., Sharrar R. G., Harris J., Mallison G. F., Martin S. M., McDade J. E. Legionnaires' disease: description of an epidemic of pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 1977 Dec 1;297(22):1189–1197. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197712012972201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Johnson W., Elliott J. A., Helms C. M., Renner E. D. A high molecular weight antigen in Legionnaires' disease bacterium: isolation and partial characterization. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):638–641. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-638. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Johnson W., Pesanti E., Elliott J. Serospecificity and opsonic activity of antisera to Legionella pneumophila. Infect Immun. 1979 Nov;26(2):698–704. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.2.698-704.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kenny G. E. Immunogenicity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1971 Apr;3(4):510–515. doi: 10.1128/iai.3.4.510-515.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McDade J. E., Shepard C. C., Fraser D. W., Tsai T. R., Redus M. A., Dowdle W. R. Legionnaires' disease: isolation of a bacterium and demonstration of its role in other respiratory disease. N Engl J Med. 1977 Dec 1;297(22):1197–1203. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197712012972202. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. McKinney R. M., Thacker L., Harris P. P., Lewallen K. R., Hebert G. A., Edelstein P. H., Thomason B. M. Four serogroups of Legionnaires' disease bacteria defined by direct immunofluorescence. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):621–624. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-621. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McKinney R. M., Thomason B. M., Harris P. P., Thacker L., Lewallen K. R., Wilkinson H. W., Hebert G. A., Moss C. W. Recognition of a new serogroup of Legionnaires disease bacterium. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Jan;9(1):103–107. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.1.103-107.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. McKinney R. M., Wilkinson H. W., Sommers H. M., Fikes B. J., Sasseville K. R., Yungbluth M. M., Wolf J. S. Legionella pneumophila serogroup six: isolation from cases of legionellosis, identification by immunofluorescence staining, and immunological response to infection. J Clin Microbiol. 1980 Sep;12(3):395–401. doi: 10.1128/jcm.12.3.395-401.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pine L., George J. R., Reeves M. W., Harrell W. K. Development of a chemically defined liquid medium for growth of Legionella pneumophila. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 May;9(5):615–626. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.5.615-626.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Svendsen P. J. Fused rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Scand J Immunol Suppl. 1973;1:69–70. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1973.tb03781.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Thirkill C. E., Kenny G. E. Antigenic analysis of three strains of Mycoplasma arginini by two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis. J Immunol. 1975 Mar;114(3):1107–1111. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Thirkill C. E., Kenny G. E. Serological comparison of five arginine-utilizing Mycoplasma species by two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis. Infect Immun. 1974 Sep;10(3):624–632. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.3.624-632.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Thomason B. M., Chandler F. W., Hollis D. G. Flagella on Legionnaires' disease bacteria: an interim report. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Aug;91(2):224–226. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-91-2-224. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilkinson H. W., Farshy C. E., Fikes B. J., Cruce D. D., Yealy L. P. Measure of immunoglobulin G-, M-, and A-specific titers against Legionella pneumophila and inhibition of titers against nonspecific, gram-negative bacterial antigens in the indirect immunofluorescence test for legionellosis. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Nov;10(5):685–689. doi: 10.1128/jcm.10.5.685-689.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wilkinson H. W., Fikes B. J., Cruce D. D. Indirect immunofluorescence test for serodiagnosis of Legionnaires disease: evidence for serogroup diversity of Legionnaires disease bacterial antigens and for multiple specificity of human antibodies. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Mar;9(3):379–383. doi: 10.1128/jcm.9.3.379-383.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wong K. H., Moss C. W., Hochstein D. H., Arko R. J., Schalla W. O. "Endotoxicity" of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):624–627. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-624. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wong K. H., Schalla W. O., Arko R. J., Bullard J. C., Feeley J. C. Immunochemical, serologic, and immunologic properties of major antigens isolated from the Legionnaires' disease bacterium. Observations bearing on the feasibility of a vaccine. Ann Intern Med. 1979 Apr;90(4):634–638. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-634. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES