Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1975 May;11(5):973–981. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.5.973-981.1975

Characterization of group N streptococcus lipoteichoic acid.

A J Wicken, K W Knox
PMCID: PMC415167  PMID: 1123256

Abstract

Lipoteichoic acid was extracted from the group N organism Streptococcus lactis ATCC 9936 with hot aqueous phenol and purified by gel chromatography followed by affinity chromatography using Ricinus communis lectin as the specific absorbent. The teichoic acid moiety of the lipoteichoic acid was calculated to contain 16 to 17 glycerol phosphate units, approximately half of which were substituted with alpha-D-galactosyl residues; the glycolipid moiety contained O-alpha-D-glucosyl-1 yields 2-O-alpha-D-glucosyl-1 yields 1-glycerol. The finding of 2-O-alpha-D-galactosyl glycerol in the lipid fraction of hydrofluoric acid hydrolysates suggests that fatty acids also occur as substituents on the main chain of the lipoteichoic acid. The reactivity of the lipoteichoic acid with R. communis lectin was studied by the quantitative precipitin method and compared with the reactivity of Lactobacillus fermenti lipoteichoic acid, which has a lower degree of alpha-D-galactosyl substitution. Group N antiserum reacted strongly with the S. lactis lipoteichoic acid and cross-reacted with L. fermenti lipoteichoic acid. From inhibition studies it is concluded that the antibodies are specific for alpha-D-galactosyl substituents. In addition to lipoteichoic acid, a fraction was obtained by gel chromatography which contained galactose and reacted with group N antiserum but could be distinguished from the lipoteichoic acid by immunoelectrophoresis.

Full text

PDF
973

Selected References

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

  1. BURGER M. M., GLASER L. THE SYNTHESIS OF TEICHOIC ACIDS. I. POLYGLYCEROPHOSPHATE. J Biol Chem. 1964 Oct;239:3168–3177. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ELLIOTT S. D. TEICHOIC ACID AND THE GROUP ANTIGEN OF LACTIC STREPTOCOCCI (GROUP N). Nature. 1963 Dec 21;200:1184–1185. doi: 10.1038/2001184a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Heidelberger M., Elliott S. Cross-reactions of streptococcal group N teichoic acid in antipneumococcal horse sera of types VI, XIV, XVI, and XXVII. J Bacteriol. 1966 Jul;92(1):281–283. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.1.281-283.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ishizuka I., Yamakawa T. Glycosyl glycerides from Streptococcus hemolyticus strain D-58. J Biochem. 1968 Jul;64(1):13–23. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a128858. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Knox K. W., Hewett M. J., Wicken A. J. Studies on the group F antigen of lactobacilli: antigenicity and serological specificity of teichoic acid preparations. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Mar;60(3):303–313. doi: 10.1099/00221287-60-3-303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Immunological properties of teichoic acids. Bacteriol Rev. 1973 Jun;37(2):215–257. doi: 10.1128/br.37.2.215-257.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Non-specific inhibition of the precipitin reaction between teichoic acids and antisera. Immunochemistry. 1973 Feb;10(2):93–98. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(73)90235-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Serological properties of the wall and membrane teichoic acids from Lactobacillus helveticus NCIB 8025. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Oct;63(2):237–248. doi: 10.1099/00221287-63-2-237. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Serological studies on the teichoic acids of Lactobacillus plantarum. Infect Immun. 1972 Jul;6(1):43–49. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.1.43-49.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lis H., Sharon N. The biochemistry of plant lectins (phytohemagglutinins). Annu Rev Biochem. 1973;42(0):541–574. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.42.070173.002545. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mukasa H., Slade H. D. Extraction, purification, and chemical and immunological properties of the Streptococcus mutans group "a" polysaccharide cell wall antigen. Infect Immun. 1973 Aug;8(2):190–198. doi: 10.1128/iai.8.2.190-198.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mukasa H., Slade H. D. Structure and immunological specificity of the Streptococcus mutans group b cell wall antigen. Infect Immun. 1973 Apr;7(4):578–585. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.4.578-585.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nicolson G. L., Blaustein J., Etzler M. E. Characterization of two plant lectins from Ricinus communis and their quantitative interaction with a murine lymphoma. Biochemistry. 1974 Jan 1;13(1):196–204. doi: 10.1021/bi00698a029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SLADE H. D., SLAMP W. C. Cell-wall composition and the grouping antigens of Streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1962 Aug;84:345–351. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.2.345-351.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SMITH D. G., SHATTOCK P. M. THE CELLULAR LOCATION OF ANTIGENS IN STREPTOCOCCI OF GROUPS D, N AND Q. J Gen Microbiol. 1964 Jan;34:165–175. doi: 10.1099/00221287-34-1-165. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sharpe M. E., Brock J. H., Knox K. W., Wicken A. J. Glycerol teichoic acid as a common antigenic factor in lactobacilli and some other gram-positive organisms. J Gen Microbiol. 1973 Jan;74(1):119–126. doi: 10.1099/00221287-74-1-119. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. TAKAHASHI T., FUNATSU G., FUNATSU M. Biochemical studies on castor bean hemagglutinin. I. Separation and purification. J Biochem. 1962 Apr;51:288–292. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a127534. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tomita M., Kurokawa T., Onozaki K., Ichiki N., Osawa T., Ukita T. Purification of galactose-binding phytoagglutinins and phytotoxin by affinity column chromatography using sepharose. Experientia. 1972 Jan 15;28(1):84–85. doi: 10.1007/BF01928278. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Toon P., Brown P. E., Baddiley J. The lipid-teichoic acid complex in the cytoplasmic membrane of Streptococcus faecalis N.C.I.B. 8191. Biochem J. 1972 Apr;127(2):399–409. doi: 10.1042/bj1270399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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]
  21. Van Wauwe J. P., Loontiens F. G., De Bruyne C. K. The interaction of Ricinus communis hemagglutinin with polysaccharides and low molecular weight carbohydrates. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jun 20;313(1):99–105. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(73)90191-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Van de Rijn I., Bleiweis A. S. Antigens of Streptococcus mutans. I. Characterization of a serotype-specific determinant from Streptococcus mutans. Infect Immun. 1973 May;7(5):795–804. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.5.795-804.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Vaught R. M., Bleiweis A. S. Antigens of Streptococcus mutans. II. Characterization of an antigen resembling a glycerol teichoic acid in walls of strain BHT. Infect Immun. 1974 Jan;9(1):60–67. doi: 10.1128/iai.9.1.60-67.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wicken A. J., Gibbens J. W., Knox K. W. Comparative studies on the isolation of membrane lipoteichoic acid from Lactobacillus fermenti. J Bacteriol. 1973 Jan;113(1):365–372. doi: 10.1128/jb.113.1.365-372.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Wicken A. J., Knox K. W. A serological comparison of the membrane teichoic acids from lactobacilli of different serological groups. J Gen Microbiol. 1971 Aug;67(2):251–254. doi: 10.1099/00221287-67-2-251. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. 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]
  27. Wicken A. J., Knox K. W. Studies on the group F antigen of lactobacilli: isolation of a teichoic acid-lipid complex from Lactobacillus fermenti NCTC 6991. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Mar;60(3):293–301. doi: 10.1099/00221287-60-3-293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wilkinson S. G. Glycosyl diglycerides from Pseudomonas rubescens. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Oct 22;164(2):148–156. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(68)90141-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. van Wauwe J. P., Loontiens F. G., De Bruyne C. K. On the interaction of Ricinus communis lectin with plant amyloids. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1974 Jun 20;354(1):148–151. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(74)90063-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES