Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1978 Apr;20(1):228–234. doi: 10.1128/iai.20.1.228-234.1978

Degradation of the polysaccharide component of gonococcal lipopolysaccharide by gonococcal and meningococcal sonic extracts.

M A Apicella, J F Breen, N C Gagliardi
PMCID: PMC421576  PMID: 78894

Abstract

An extract made from the supernatant of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Gc2 strain 1291 degraded the Gc2 polysaccharide antigen. Chemical analysis of this polysaccharide indicated it contains glucose, galactose, glucosamine, galactosamine, glucosamine-6-phosphate, heptose, 2-keto-3-deoxyotonate, and ethanolamine and is the polysaccharide component of gonococcal lipopolysaccharide. Degradation of the polysaccharide by sonic extracts resulted either in complete loss of antigenicity and immunogenicity or in partial degradation to subunits that could inhibit the Gc2-specific hemagglutination inhibition. The factors responsible for degradation were destroyed by heating at 100 degrees C for 5 min or by Pronase digestion, but were unaffected by ribonuclease, deoxyribonuclease, Mg2+, Ca2+, or ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The process was pH dependent, with optimal activity occurring at pH 7. Sonic extract supernatants from group B and C meningococcal strains contained degrading properties, whereas similar extracts produced from Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae type II failed to degrade the Gc2 polysaccharide.

Full text

PDF
228

Images in this article

230Image
on p.230
232Image
on p.232

Selected References

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

  1. Apicella M. A. Antigenically distinct populations of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: isolation and characterization of the responsible determinants. J Infect Dis. 1974 Dec;130(6):619–625. doi: 10.1093/infdis/130.6.619. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Apicella M. A., Robinson J. A. Physicochemical Properties of Neisseria meningitidis Group C and Y Polysaccharide Antigens. Infect Immun. 1970 Oct;2(4):392–397. doi: 10.1128/iai.2.4.392-397.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Apicella M. A. Serogrouping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: identification of four immunologically distinct acidic polysaccharides. J Infect Dis. 1976 Oct;134(4):377–383. doi: 10.1093/infdis/134.4.377. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cunningham A. J., Szenberg A. Further improvements in the plaque technique for detecting single antibody-forming cells. Immunology. 1968 Apr;14(4):599–600. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gotschlich E. C., Liu T. Y., Artenstein M. S. Human immunity to the meningococcus. 3. Preparation and immunochemical properties of the group A, group B, and group C meningococcal polysaccharides. J Exp Med. 1969 Jun 1;129(6):1349–1365. doi: 10.1084/jem.129.6.1349. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hebeler B. H., Young F. E. Mechanism of autolysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1976 Jun;126(3):1186–1193. doi: 10.1128/jb.126.3.1186-1193.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hilborn J. C., Anastassiadis P. A. Acrylamide gel electrophoresis of acidic mucopolysaccharides. Anal Biochem. 1969 Oct 1;31(1):51–58. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(69)90240-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jennings H. J., Hawes G. B., Adams G. A., Kenny C. P. The chemical composition and serological reactions of lipopolysaccharides from serogroups A,B,X, and Y Neisseria meningitidis. Can J Biochem. 1973 Oct;51(10):1347–1354. doi: 10.1139/o73-178. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. OSBORN M. J. STUDIES ON THE GRAM-NEGATIVE CELL WALL. I. EVIDENCE FOR THE ROLE OF 2-KETO- 3-DEOXYOCTONATE IN THE LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1963 Sep;50:499–506. doi: 10.1073/pnas.50.3.499. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. OUCHTERLONY O. Diffusion-in-gel methods for immunological analysis. II. Prog Allergy. 1962;6:30–154. doi: 10.1159/000313795. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Wiseman G. M., Caird J. D. Composition of the lipopolysaccharide of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun. 1977 May;16(2):550–556. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.2.550-556.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wong K. H., Feeley J. C. Isolation of Vi antigen and a simple method for its measurement. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Oct;24(4):628–633. doi: 10.1128/am.24.4.628-633.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES