Purification, characterization and serological properties of a glycolipid antigen reactive with a serovar-specific monoclonal antibody against Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola

A glycolipid antigen possessing a serovar-specific antigenic determinant of Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola was purified from a chloroform/methanol extract of the organism. The purification procedures included silicic acid column chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Antigenic activity was detected by a TLC-enzyme immunostaining technique using monoclonal antibody CT3, which specifically agglutinates serovar canicola and only weakly serovar sumneri but no other serovars of Leptospira. The purified glycolipid reacted with CT3 antibody, indicating that the glycolipid possessed a serovar-specific antigenic determinant. Infrared spectrum and proton nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that the glycolipid contained sugar and lipid moieties, which possessed amide linkages and an acetyl group. Gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that the glycolipid contained two unknown sugars, one of which (unknown sugar II) appeared to be associated with the antigenic determinant specific for canicola. The serovar-specific antigenic determinant was destroyed by mild alkali treatment of the glycolipid. These findings suggested that the antigenic determinant was an alkali-labile moiety which may be related to the unknown sugar II.     

Protective activity of glycolipid antigen against infection by Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola

A protective glycolipid antigen (PAg) was extracted from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola with chloroform/methanol/water (1:2:0.8, by vol.) and partially purified by silica gel column chromatography. The PAg elicited a protective response in hamsters and in cyclophosphamide-treated mice subsequently challenged with homologous Leptospira. The PAg band was detected as a single smear-like band, corresponding to a protein of 23-30 kDa, by silver-staining in SDS-PAGE. In immunoblots, this band reacted with a monoclonal antibody, A5, which agglutinated serovar canicola and recognized a serovar-specific antigen. Furthermore, the PAg did not migrate on silica gel TLC, but was detected at the origin as a ninhydrin- and naphthol-positive spot. This suggests that PAg is a hydrophilic molecule with a carbohydrate chain that contains amino groups, possibly as amino sugars.     

Immunochemical Characteristics and Localization on Cells of Protective Antigen (PAg) Prepared from Leptospira interrogans Serovar lai

Immuno-electron microscopic methods revealed that the protective antigen (PAg) of Leptospira interrogans serovar lai exists on the outer envelope sheathing the leptospiral cell body. PAg lost its protective activity after treatment by hydrolysis with 2 M formic acid at 100 C for 2 hr, or oxidation with periodate at 4 C for 40 hr. The antigenic oligosaccharide fraction was further purified from the hydrolyzed PAg by immunoaffinity column coupled with protective monoclonal antibody, LW2, and by gel filtration of HPLC. The antigenic oligosaccharide fraction contained two unknown sugars and 4-O-methylmannose (molar ratio 3:5:1). These findings suggested that these sugars are components of an antigenic determinant contributing to the protective immunity against serovar lai infection.     

Restriction endonuclease DNA analysis of antigenic variants of leptospires selected by monoclonal antibodies

The genome of antigenic variant CV (CT3)-1 derived from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola was compared by cleavage with restriction endonucleases with the parent and serovar bafani, to which the variant was serologically most closely related. No differences were observed between the parent and variant in DNA restriction endonuclease patterns using eight restriction endonucleases. Serovar bafani was different in the patterns from the parent and antigenic variant CV (CT3)-1. The two antigenic variants derived from serovar hebdomadis, HV (H16)-1 and HV (H19)-1 which belonged serologically to serovars jules and hebdomadis, respectively, were compared by restriction endonuclease DNA analysis with the parent and serovar jules. No differences were observed between the parent and variants in DNA restriction endonuclease patterns using the same enzymes. But some differences were observed in DNA restriction endonuclease patterns between HV (H16)-1 and serovar jules. Thus, the antigenic variant selected from the parent by the anti-parent monoclonal antibody and serologically different from the parent, being identified either as a new serovar or as a known one, was found to be similar to the parent by the restriction endonuclease DNA analysis.     

Isolation of Antigenically Active Components from Leptospiral Serovar-Specific Lipopoly-saccharide Antigen by Alkaline Treatment

The serovar-specific main antigen (TM antigen) of Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola, which has lipopolysaccharide properties, was treated with 0.1 n sodium hydroxide. This treatment degraded the antigen into two major antigenic components, one of high and one of low molecular weight. The component with the lower molecular weight (approximately 4,000 daltons) consisted mainly of carbohydrates, having lost almost all of the fatty acid and protein components of the original antigen. Although the substance lacked immunoprecipitable activity, it continued to show serovar-specific inhibitory potency in a radioimmunoassay system as well as in a microscopic immunoagglutination reaction of the organisms. The antigenic activity of the compound was also reduced by periodate oxidation as was that of the TM antigen. A component with the same chemical and physicochemical properties was also produced by alkaline treatment from a different serotype TM antigen (serovar kremastos Kyoto), but it showed no antigenic activity.     

Nature of antigenic determinant of serovar-specific antigen of Leptospira interrogans serovar hebdomadis.

The nondialyzable delipidized serovar-specific main antigen (NDTM antigen) of Leptospira interrogans serovar hebdomadis strain Hebdomadis (a variant which can grow in a synthetic medium) showed a strong inhibition of the complement fixation between the serovar-specific main (TM) antigen of this strain and the homologous antiserum. The inhibitory effect of the NDTM antigen was completely lost by treating the antigen with proteolytic enzymes, and the fractions of TM antigen containing amino sugar, neutral sugars, and lipids did not show any inhibition of complement fixation, indicating that the antigenic determinant of this strain is related to proteins. NDTM antigen contained more hydrophilic amino acids than hydrophobic amino acids, whereas TM antigen contained more hydrophobic amino acids than hydrophilic amino acids. The amino acid compositions of NDTM antigens of hebdomadis strain Hebdomadis (variant) and kremastos strain Kyoto, which belonged to the same serogroup, were considerably similar. Difference was found in the amounts of methionine, arginine, lysine and glutamine acid.     

Chemical properties of lipopolysaccharide-like substance (LLS) extracted from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola strain Moulton

The aqueous layer was isolated from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola strain Moulton by the hot phenol-water method. After ultracentrifugation, the precipitate was designated as lipopolysaccharide-like substance (LLS) fraction and the chemical composition was compared with that of bacterial LPS. The LLS fraction consists of 35.2% carbohydrate, 3.8% amino sugar, 36.4% lipid, 15.2% protein, and 0.3% phosphorus. Neutral sugars were detected as rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, 4-O-methylmannose, mannose, galactose, and a small amount of erythrose, fucose and glucose by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), but 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid was not detected in the LLS by thiobarbituric acid test and high voltage paper electrophoresis. Fatty acids detected by GLC were decanoic acid (C10: 0), dodecanoic acid (C12: 0), dodecenoic acid (C12: 1), tridecenoic acid (C13: 1), tetradecanoic acid (C14: 0), hexadecanoic acid (C16: 0), hexadecenoic acid (C16: 1), and octadecenoic acid (C18: 1). With SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, bacterial LPS showed many orderly bands, while the banding pattern of the leptospiral LLS was very simple. These findings demonstrate that the physicochemical properties and chemical composition of LLS fraction from Leptospira are different from those of LPS extracted from gram-negative bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae, and suggesting that Leptospira has no typical LPS.     

Further purification and characterization of a circulating antigen in schistosomiasis.

Previous studies showed that an antigen found in the circulation of animals heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni was extracted in a trichloroacetic acid soluble-chloroform insoluble fraction (TCA-S-C) of adult worms. Antigenic activity was destroyed by periodate treatment but remained unaltered after treatment with proteolytic enzymes, DNase, RNase, and lyophilization. In the present study, chromatography of TCA-S-C on a DEAE cellulose column revealed six substances, one of which was antigenic. After electrophoresis in agarose antigenic activity corresponded to a slower moving, toluidine blue-staining material. A faster moving, toluidine blue-staining substance seems to be responsible for the large 260 nm, absorbing peak. Analysis of a fraction containing only antigen revealed a large amount of carbohydrate, primarily N-acetylglucosamine and D-glucuronic acid but also galactase, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and trace amounts of other sugars. Amino acids accounted for about 11% of the weight of the antigen. The antigen appears to be a proteoglycan.     

AN INDIRECT ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF LEPTOSPIRA INTERROGANS SEROVAR POMONA ANTIBODIES IN BOVINE SERA

An indirect ELISA was developed and initially evaluated for the detection of bovine antibodies to Leptospira interrogans serovar pomona. The antigen used in this ELISA was extracted from a serovar pomona culture supernatant by a combination of centrifugation, digestion with proteinase K and ultra-centrifugation. The antigen showed little cross-reaction with immune rabbit sera to L. interrogans serovars copenhageni, grippotyphosa, hardjo and sejroe and, Leptospira biflexa serovar patoc. Some cross-reaction was observed with immune rabbit serum to L. interrogans serovar canicola. The relative sensitivity of the ELISA was 94.76% confidence interval =± 3.32%) when estimated with bovine sera (n=172) with serovar pomona microscopic agglutination test (MAT) titers of 100. The relative specificity of the ELISA was 99.28% (95% confidence interval = 1.40%) when estimated with bovine sera (n=139) with MAT titers of <100 to L. interrogans serovars canicola, copenhageni, grippotyphosa, hardjo, pomona and sejroe. Thirty six of 258 field sera (13.95%) with serovar pomona MAT titers of <100, gave positive reactions in the ELISA.     

Molecular characterization of a mucin-type antigen associated with human pancreatic cancer. The DU-PAN-2 antigen

This work describes the molecular characterization of a human pancreatic cancer-associated antigen defined by a murine monoclonal antibody (DU-PAN-2). DU-PAN-2 antigen was isolated from a pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line (HPAF) or patient's ascitic fluid, and the antigenic activity was monitored by competitive inhibition radioimmunoassay. Affinity chromatography and CsCl/guanidine HCl density gradient centrifugation were employed to remove other populations of mucin-type glycoproteins and noncovalently associated proteins, respectively. Three electrophoretically distinct components were detected by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis and were resolved by chromatography on Sepharose CL-4B. The major fraction (FII) was subjected to carbohydrate and amino acid analyses. The sum of threonine, serine, proline, glycine, and alanine comprised more than 50% of the amino acid residues. The saccharide units, O-glycosidically linked to the peptide via GalNAc, contained fucose, galactose, GlcNAc, GalNAc, and sialic acid. The total carbohydrate content of FI and FII was 80.8% and 77.4% by weight, respectively. The molecular weight of FII antigen showed two species of molecules of 1.45 X 10(6) and 4.59 X 10(6) by analytical sedimentation equilibrium. DU-PAN-2 antigen was susceptible to neuraminidase, pepsin, Pronase, and papain digestion. These results suggest that both protein components and sialic acid residues may play important roles in the binding of DU-PAN-2 antibody.     

Colonic tumor membrane-associated glycoprotein: isolation of antigenically-active peptides after chemical cleavage.

A membrane-associated glycoprotein fraction, referred to a CEA-M was isolated from human colonic tumor tissue by sodium dodecyl sulfate extraction of membrane fragments followed by wheat germ agglutinin affinity chromatography, Bio-Gel A-1.5 gel filtration and preparative slab gel electrophoresis. With a m.w. of approximately 200,000, isoelectric point of about 4.2 and carbohydrate:protein ratio of 2:1, this glycoprotein has physiocochemical and antigenic similarities to carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA. Immunochemical studies have shown that antiserum developed for this glycoprotein possesses relative specificity for human colonic carcinomas. Chemical cleavage of this glycoprotein by 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid resulted in three major Coomassie Blue and two periodic acid Schiff stainable fragments (one of which stains with both). It was found that one of the glycopeptides, labeled as TA, isolated by affinity and covalent chromatography, contained 77% carbohydrates and possessed antigenic determinants recognized by at least 70% of the antibody population raised against the total glycoprotein fraction; purified antibodies to this region of the molecule seem promising for the development of a specific assay for gastrointestinal tumors.     

Serological and chemical interrelationship of antigens from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola

Antigens of the outer envelope from Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola (Hond Utrecht IV) were extracted by 50% (v/v) ethanol or by sodium dodecyl sulphate and serological analysis suggested that they were identical. The "fraction 4" extracted by alkali was found to contain glycoproteins of high (retentate) and low (filtrate) molecular weight; the latter behaved like a hapten in serology and in animal immunization experiments. Antibodies were raised in rabbits against this hapten by conjugating it to bovine albumin fraction V. The antiserum was found to react with both the low molecular weight and high molecular weight glycoproteins. This anti-hapten serum contained little or no whole-cell-agglutinating antibodies. The fraction 4 retentate behaved like a complete antigen in serological and immunization studies. Fraction 4 retentate and the outer envelope preparations were serologically related but they were not identical. Chemical studies revealed similarities between the carbohydrate component of the outer envelope obtained by ethanol extraction and fraction 4. The outer envelope extracted by ethanol, fraction 4 and its low and high molecular weight glycoproteins contained arabinose, rhamnose, fucose, xylose, mannose, galactose, glucose, glucosamine and glucuronic acid. Three unidentified peaks were observed in gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of the O-trimethylsilyl derivatives of methyl glycosides of all these samples and one of these peaks co-eluted with the O-trimethylsilyl derivative of 3-O-methylmannose.     

Paragonimus ohirai: immunobiochemical characterization on the tegumental glycocalyx of excysted juvenile recognized by a monoclonal antibody

The tegumental glycocalyx of excysted juvenile (EJ) of Paragonimus ohirai was immunobiochemically characterized using a monoclonal antibody (MS-Mab). HPLC gel filtration showed that the antigens detected by two-site ELISA had a molecular weight of greater than or equal to 2 x 10(6) Da (dextran marker). On reduced SDS-PAGE, the glycocalyx antigen retained in the stacking gel was cleaved into several much smaller antigens after pronase treatment. The antigenic activity of the glycocalyx was stable in two-site ELISA to heat and acid treatments, but sensitive to alkali, periodate, base/borohydride, and pronase treatments. Precipitin formation in immunodouble diffusion between MS-Mab and EJ crude antigen was inhibited only by two monosaccharides: galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine. The purified glycocalyx bound strongly to PNA lectin, fairly well to RCA120 lectin, and slightly to SBA lectin, but not to Con A, WGA, UEA-1, DBA, or LFA lectins. Exo-beta-galactosidase treatment increased SBA binding, whereas it decreased PNA binding. PNA was observed to strongly bind to the body surface of living EJ. The antigenic activity of the glycocalyx was remarkably lost by incubation with exo-beta-galactosidase and O-glycanase. The glycocalyx was reactive with sera of P. ohirai-infected rats, and its reactivity was remarkably reduced by O-glycanase treatment. The ELISA level was higher in sera at an early stage of infection than in a late one. These studies show that the EJ tegumental glycocalyx is antigenic in infection, a marked, high molecular weight glycoprotein containing antigenic O-linked sugars, and that the sugar epitope is at the nonreducing terminal of the O-linked sugars and is composed of galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine.     

Chemical characterization of a new surface antigenic polysaccharide from a mutant of Staphylococcus aureus

A mutant of Staphylococcus aureus H was isolated by virtue of its inability to agglutinate with antibodies against teichoic acid of S. aureus. Immunological studies revealed that the mutant, S. aureus T, possessed a new surface antigen in addition to having the antigenic determinant of the wild-type strain, the ribitol teichoic acid. The presence of this additional surface component rendered strain T resistant to staphylococcal typing phages, presumably by masking the phage-receptor sites. The polymer was separated from teichoic acid by chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose and was shown to be composed of two amino sugars, N-acetyl-d-fucosamine and N-acetyl-d-mannosamin uronic acid.     

Cholera Toxins: Immunogenicity of the Rabbit Ileal Loop Toxin and Related Antigens

A method of assay of immunogenic potency of the cholera gut toxin is described; it is based on the relation of dose of antigen to neutralizing antibody titer produced in the rabbit under defined conditions and allows quantification of immunogenicity as immunogenic units per milligram of protein. Evidence, based on immunogenicity and rabbit ileal loop toxicity, is presented which indicates that the positively charged fraction of liquid-culture supernatant fluid eluted in deionized water from diethylaminoethyl Sephadex, or in electrolyte from carboxymethyl Sephadex, is a complex made up of a nonantigenic toxic moiety, a nontoxic protein component which elicits the formation of toxin-neutralizing antibody, and an inactive fraction. The complex may also be dissociated in high-salt concentrations with apparent recombination of the toxic moiety with a nondialyzable constituent of peptone to give a negatively charged complex. The immunogenic component is found in nontoxic supernatant fluids of cultures grown at pH 6.5 or in media deficient in peptone. It is also present in the nontoxic fraction eluted from diethylaminoethyl Sephadex in electrolyte or in deionized water from carboxymethyl Sephadex. When separated from the positively charged toxic moiety, the net charge of the antigen is reduced as shown by immunoelectrophoresis. On primary fractionation, the antigen may be associated with a minor antigenic component of the negatively charged complex containing a major antigen eliciting vibriocidal antibody formation, but antisera to the toxin antigen preparations, either in this form or freed of antigenic contamination by recycling, do not contain vibriocidal antibody. It is suggested that this antigen be designated the T (toxin) antigen, and the antigen producing vibriocidal antibody the V antigen. These two antigens would appear to represent the major antigenic specificities associated with the antitoxic and antibacterial elements of the immune response to infection.     

Immunoaffinity purification of Schistosoma mansoni soluble egg antigens

Schistosoma mansoni egg antigens were purified from a heterogeneous mixture of soluble egg antigens (crude SEA) with an immunoaffinity column that consisted of the specific anti-SEA antibodies contained in 16-week S. mansoni-infected mouse serum bound to Sepharose 4B. On sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis, the purified antigen fraction yielded at least eight bands staining with Coomassie blue and at least five bands staining with Coomaisse blue and at least five bands reacting with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS). All of the proteins in the antigenic fraction appear to contain carbohydrate residues. Upon immunoelectrophoresis the antigen yielded four precipitin arcs. The antigenic fraction isolated by means of the immunoaffinity column was then compared to various fractions obtained from concanavalin A (Con A) chromatography of SEA. The results of Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and immunoelectrophoresis indicate that the antigenic fraction isolated by immunoaffinity purification of SEA contains the major antigens found in the fractions obtained from Con A chromatography of SEA. The results of SDS gel electrophoresis indicate that the major PAS-reacting bands of the antigenic fraction isolated by immunoaffinity purification are found in the 3rd peak (bound fraction) resulting from Con A chromatography of SEA, whereas the major Coomaisse blue-staining band in the isolated antigenic fraction is found in the 2nd peak (unbound fraction) from Con A chromatography of SEA.     

Immunochemical Analysis of Serologically Active Lipids of Mycoplasma pneumoniae

The major complement-fixing antigen of Mycoplasma pneumoniae is found in the lipid fraction of the organism. When the lipids of M. pneumoniae were fractionated by column chromatography on silicic acid, serological activity against both rabbit and human immune sera was found in two fractions, B and D. Fraction B, eluted with chloroform-methanol (9:1), was a minor component in terms of total complement-fixing activity and contained a complex of lipids which were detected in the region characteristic of phosphatidic acids by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel G. Fraction D, eluted with ethyl acetate-methanol (3.5:2), had approximately the same complement-fixing antigen titer as the original lipid extract and appeared as a "comet-shaped" spot between phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine on Silica Gel G plates charred with sulfuric acid. However, by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel H impregnated with sodium tetraborate, it was demonstrated that fraction D did contain multiple components, all but one of which were carbohydrate-containing lipids (giving positive reactions when sprayed with orcinol-sulfuric acid reagent). Fraction D was found to contain glycerol and phosphate in equimolar ratios but did not contain nitrogen. Two sugars were detected which migrated on paper chromatograms with glucose and galactose.     

Presence of phospholipid-neutral lipid complex structures in atherosclerotic lesions as detected by a novel monoclonal antibody.

A novel monoclonal antibody (ASH1a/256C) that recognizes atherosclerotic lesions in human and Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit aortae is described. When (123)I-labeled ASH1a/256C antibody is injected intravenously into WHHL rabbits, it associates specifically with fatty streaks on the aorta. The antigen recognized by the antibody is lipid, based on extraction with chloroform and methanol from WHHL rabbit tissues. The antigen, purified by high performance liquid chromatography, was shown to be phosphatidylcholine (PC), which contains unsaturated fatty acyl groups based on analyses utilizing (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transfer-infrared spectrum, and mass spectrometry. The antibody did not react with other classes of phospholipids or neutral lipids when tested using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. When PC was mixed with either cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, or triacylglycerol, however, the reactivity of the antibody to PC increased up to 8-fold. Homogenates of aorta tissue obtained from normal and WHHL rabbits were fractionated using sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation in which neutral lipid droplets, cellular membranes, and proteins are separated. The phospholipid content in cellular membrane fractions from WHHL rabbits was twice as high as that of normal rabbits, and there was an enormous difference in the antigenic activity in these fractions. The content of cholesterol in the cellular membrane fraction of WHHL rabbits was approximately 50 times higher than that of normal rabbits. Addition of neutral lipids to the cellular membrane fraction of normal rabbit markedly increased the antigenic activity. Atheromatous lesions in thickened WHHL rabbit aortic intima that were rich in lipid droplets were stained positively with ASH1a/256C immunohistochemically. These results strongly suggest that PC-neutral lipid complex domains are formed in atherosclerotic lesions.     

Comparison of antibodies to Leptospira in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and cattle in Ohio

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in sera from 248 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Ohio. The sera were collected at check stations during the hunting season in 1983. The microscopic agglutination microtiter test was used to determine the presence of antibodies to Leptospira interrogans serovars pomona, icterohemorrhagiae, canicola, hardjo, and grippotyphosa. Eighteen of 248 (7.3%) serum samples had antibody titers (greater than or equal to 1:100) to at least one of the five serovars tested, with three of these samples reacting to more than one serovar. Prevalence did not differ significantly between sex or age groups. The serovar antigens reacting most frequently with serum antibodies were grippotyphosa (10 of 22, 45.5%) and pomona (eight of 22, 36.4%). Sera agglutinating with pomona antigen had higher titers (ranging from 1:200 to 1:6,400) than did sera agglutinating with the other serovars. These results were compared to results obtained from cattle tested at the Ohio Department of Agriculture Laboratories during 1983. There was a significant relationship between pomona infections detected in deer and cattle (P less than 0.05), but not with grippotyphosa.     

Immunochemical Characterization of Cell Wall Protein Antigen Purified from the Cell Wall Autolysate of Clostridium botulinum Type A

The cell wall protein antigen was solubilized from the isolated cell walls of Clostridium botulinum type A by autolysis and purified by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose column chromatography followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150. The two fractions showed a high degree of the serological activity and produced a main fused precipitin line in immunodiffusion tests against the homologous antiserum. The fact that antigenic fractions contained various kinds of amino acids but no detectable amounts of amino sugars or carbohydrates suggests that the antigens were principally composed of proteins. The protein antigen possessed multiple antigenic components on immunoelectrophoresis. As serological activity, the antigen was heat-stable and resistant to tryptic digestion but sensitive to the actions of pronase, nagarse or pepsin. The protein antigen appeared to be responsible for the common antigenicity among the proteolytic strains of C. botulinum.