Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1980 Nov;30(2):506–512. doi: 10.1128/iai.30.2.506-512.1980

Chemical composition and biological activity of the Yersinia pestis envelope substance.

R Głosnicka, E Gruszkiewicz
PMCID: PMC551341  PMID: 7002800

Abstract

Purification of the envelope antigen of Yersinia pestis EV with passive hemagglutination activity is described. The purification procedure consisted of pancreatin digestion, chromatography on human erythrocyte stroma set on Celite, and rechromatography on Sephadex G-200. Chemical, physical, and biological properties of this antigen were investigated. The results show the lipid-polysaccharide structure of the isolated antigen. The carbohydrate moiety of the galactolipid antigen consists of galactose and fucose. The lipid fraction contained phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. The preparation showed high specificity in the hemagglutination reaction and in Y. pestis phage receptor activity. In two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis, the isolated pancreatic envelope digest antigen appeared as a single line. Two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis was modified for tandem separation and was employed to electrophoretically identify the pancreatic envelope digest, trypsin envelope digest preparation, and F1 envelope antigen of Y. pestis. Related or identical antigens showed confluence of peaks with reactions of identity.

Full text

PDF
506

Images in this article

510Fig. 8
on p.510
511Fig. 9
on p.511

Selected References

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

  1. AMIES C. R. The envelope substance of Pasteurella pestis. Br J Exp Pathol. 1951 Jun;32(3):259–273. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Axelsen N. H., Bock E. Identification and quantitation of antigens and antibodies by means of quantitative immunoelectrophoresis. A survey of methods. J Immunol Methods. 1972 Jan;1(2):109–121. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(72)90038-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bennett L. G., Tornabene T. G. Characterization of the antigenic subunits of the envelope protein of Yersinia pestis. J Bacteriol. 1974 Jan;117(1):48–55. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.1.48-55.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brubaker R. R. The genus Yersinia: biochemistry and genetics of virulence. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1972;57:111–158. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-65297-4_4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CHEN T. H., CROCKER T. T., MEYER K. F. Electron microscopic study of the extracellular materials of Pasteurella pestis. J Bacteriol. 1956 Dec;72(6):851–857. doi: 10.1128/jb.72.6.851-857.1956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen T. H., Elberg S. S. Scanning electron microscopic study of virulent Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis type 1. Infect Immun. 1977 Mar;15(3):972–977. doi: 10.1128/iai.15.3.972-977.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dodin A., Baltazard M., Wiart J. Les méthodes sérologiques pour la recherche de la peste en foyer naturel. Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales. 1971 Sep-Oct;64(5):722–733. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glosnicka R., Kunikowska D., Dominowska C., Wegner Z., Przyborowski T., Malottke R. Description of Yersinia reservoires in synanthropic rodents in ports and in the Gdańsk coastal area. Bull Inst Marit Trop Med Gdynia. 1976;27(2):247–254. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Habig W., Hudson B. W., Marshall J. D., Cavanaugh D. C., Rust J. H. Evidence for Molecular Heterogeneity of the Specific Antigen (Fraction-1) of Pasteurella pestis. Infect Immun. 1971 Mar;3(3):498–499. doi: 10.1128/iai.3.3.498-499.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hartley J. L., Adams G. A., Tornabene T. G. Chemical and physical properties of lipopolysaccharide of Yersinia pestis. J Bacteriol. 1974 Jun;118(3):848–854. doi: 10.1128/jb.118.3.848-854.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KATES M., ADAMS G. A., MARTIN S. M. LIPIDS OF SERRATIA MARCESCENS. Can J Biochem. 1964 Apr;42:461–479. doi: 10.1139/o64-054. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LANDY M., TRAPANI R. J. A hemagglutination test for plague antibody with purified capsular antigen of Pasteurella pestis. Am J Hyg. 1954 Mar;59(2):150–156. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a119629. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tornabene T. G. Lipid composition of selected strains of Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 May 24;306(2):173–185. doi: 10.1016/0005-2760(73)90223-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES