On the cross-reactivity of staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, and C.

Strong cross-reactions were demonstrated for staphylococcal enterotoxins B (SEB) and C1 (SEC1) by antigen-binding capacity and by competitive binding ability. Both SEB and SEC1 combined completely with the heterologous antibody although requiring four times as much antiserum as the homologous enterotoxin and both displaced about one-third of the other enterotoxin from a heterologous antigen-antibody system. It is proposed that one of the three major antigenic determinants of these enterotoxins possesses a significant similarity but probably not an identity of structure. SEB and SEC1 did not combine with antiserum to enterotoxin A nor inhibit the reaction of SEA with anti-SEA. SEA had no intrinsic binding capacity for anti-SEB or anti SEC1 nor did it inhibit the binding of either enterotoxin to its own antibody. Affinity chromatography was employed to demonstrate that a small apparent binding of SEA to anti-SEB was due to antibody to SEA in the anti-SEB serum and that an almost complete displacement of SEC1 binding to anti-SEC1 was caused by contaminating SEC (about 0.01%) in preparations of enterotoxin A.     

Production and characterization of anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies with specificity for staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B

A synthetic peptide containing selected epitopes from staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and enterotoxin B (SEB) was used to produce monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to respective enterotoxins in a single fusion procedure. The peptide inhibited the reaction of polyclonal anti-SEA or anti-SEB antisera with their homologous enterotoxin, thus showing that the chosen epitopes are part of the antibody-inducing enterotoxin sequences. Two Mabs, Mab-A and Mab-B, reacted with both the peptide and with either SEA or SEB. Used in a double antibody sandwich ELISA, the Mabs were able to quantitate the native SEA or SEB toxins at nanogram levels.     

Relationship between enterotoxic- and T lymphocyte-stimulating activity of staphylococcal enterotoxin B

The enterotoxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus cause a gastrointestinal intoxication probably via their action on intramucosal neuronal cells. Staphylococcal enterotoxins are also the most powerful mitogens known, activating CD3+ T lymphocytes of several species in a clonally variable and MHC class II-dependent fashion. We examined a possible relationship between enterotoxic and mitogenic activity of staphylococcal enterotoxin serotype B (SEB). We used a monoclonal anti-Id directed against the combining site of an anti-SEB mAb. This anti-Id failed to elicit an enteric response by itself but could block the enteric response in monkeys to a 6000-fold excess of SEB. The anti-Id was mitogenic, however, for human and monkey T cells, triggering a fraction of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Not all SEB-reactive T cells were activated by the anti-Id. The anti-Id bound to T cells with a similarly low affinity as did SEB. Additional evidence for a separation of enterotoxic and mitogenic activity comes from studies with carboxymethylated SEB. Although this modified SEB had lost its enterotoxic activity, it was as mitogenic as the unmodified molecule. These results support the notion that the enteric reaction to SEB is not mediated via its effect on T lymphocytes. We conclude that SEB and anti-Id might bind to a common structure of different receptors on T cells and target cells in the intestinal mucosa, probably peripheral sensory neurons.     

新型截短肠毒素C2突变株抑制肿瘤细胞生长

在恶性肿瘤的治疗中,肠毒素C2 (SEC2) 的临床应用由于其副作用而被严重限制。利用SEC2基因截短技术,获得保留T细胞刺激活力又不引发催吐效应的SEC2突变株,可有效解决这个问题。根据噻唑蓝比色法 (MTT) 分析结果,新型截短肠毒素C2突变株 (NSM) 可显著刺激T细胞增殖,并且可显著抑制人大肠癌细胞 (CX-1) 和人乳腺癌细胞 (MCF-7) 生长。NSM的T细胞刺激能力和抑瘤效果与SEC2相似。动物研究结果证明NSM不再引发呕吐效应,且可显著抑制荷瘤小鼠的肿瘤生长。因此,这种可抑制肿瘤细胞生     

从噬菌体表面展示肽库中筛选葡萄球菌B型肠毒素抑制剂

通过生物淘选,从噬菌体表面展示12肽肽库中筛选能与葡萄球菌B型肠毒素(staphylococcalenterotoxinB ,SEB)结合且能抑制其肠毒活性的特异性短肽.采用Phage ELISA和MTT鉴定所得目的肽的亲和性;根据优势噬菌体阳性克隆序列合成相应多肽.利用竞争ELISA研究合成肽与SEB单克隆抗体竞争结合SEB的情况;通过动物实验考察其抑制SEB的超抗原特性和肠毒活性情况.筛选所得短肽在一定浓度范围内可以抑制SEB对鼠脾淋巴细胞的激活;合成肽与SEB质量比为16 0∶1时,合成肽可较好地抑制SEB对乳猫的肠毒活性,并对SEB引起的小鼠致死具有明显保护作用.结果表明,初步得到了能与SEB特异结合并能抑制SEB超抗原特性和肠毒活性的短肽,为进一步研制SEB高效抑制剂奠定了基础.     

Staphylococcal enterotoxin a detection with phage displayed antibodies

A technique for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin A with sandwich enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was developed. Mouse monoclonal anti-SEA antibodies were used as capture antibodies and phage displayed anti-SEA scFv were used as detection antibodies. The limit of detection was 6–12.5 ng/mL for different pairs of antibodies. Some conditions of phage-displayed antibodies for storage in dissolved and lyophilized state were examined. It was shown the use of trehalose and arginine preserved the functional activity of phage-displayed antibodies.     

葡萄球菌肠毒素 B 突变体的构建及其抗肿瘤活性分析

目的：通过对葡萄球菌肠毒素B（SEB）32位His进行定点突变,获得抑瘤效果显著增强的SEB突变体。方法：利用基因定点突变的方法,将SEB的32位His替换为Asn,将重组质粒转入大肠杆菌中诱导表达,用CM弱阳离子层析柱纯化获得重组蛋白,用SDS-PAGE和Western印迹对其进行鉴定,并用增殖实验检测其丝裂原活性,通过MTS法检测其体外抗肿瘤活性。结果：构建并高效表达了突变体蛋白SEB（H32N）,纯化获得了足够纯度的突变体蛋白;体外实验表明,在相同浓度下,SEB（H32N）的丝裂原活性及体外抗肿瘤活性明显优于野生型SEB。结论：同野生型SEB相比,突变体蛋白SEB（H32N）对肿瘤生长的抑制作用得到了提高。     

Localization of an immune functional site on staphylococcal enterotoxin A using the synthetic peptide approach

Using the synthetic peptide approach, we have identified a part of the staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) molecule that is responsible for stimulation of T cell proliferation and induction of the lymphokine IFN-gamma. Peptides were synthesized corresponding to amino acids 1 to 27, SEA(1-27), and 28 to 45, SEA(28-45). Both peptides were tested for direct competition with SEA for blockage of SEA induced proliferation and production of IFN-gamma by T cells. Further, antibodies were produced to the peptides and tested for their ability to bind to SEA and block SEA function. SEA (1-27), but not SEA (28-45), blocked proliferation of human peripheral T cells and induction of IFN-gamma by the T cell line, L12-R4. The inhibitory effects were specific, because SEA (1-27) did not inhibit the induction of T cell proliferation by the mitogen PHA. Consistent with the direct inhibition of function, antibodies to SEA (1-27), but not SEA (28-45), neutralized the mitogenic activity of SEA on human PBL. The data suggest that a functional site on SEA that is responsible for its modulation of T cell function involves the N-terminal 27 amino acids. Residues 1 to 27 of SEA could potentially interact at either the level of the TCR or may block the proposed binding of SEA to class II MHC Ag, based on recent data showing that these molecules are involved in SEA-induced proliferation.     

Mitogenic activity of the antigens isolated from different Staphylococcus aureus strains in relation to mouse and guinea pig splenocytes

The mitogenic effect of corpuscular antigens with respect to the splenocytes of animals was found to depend on the strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The maximum synthesis of DNA in the cells was induced by corpuscular antigen Smith and the minimum synthesis, by Wood-46. The synthesis of DNA was activated in both B- and T-splenocytes in response to corpuscular antigens Wood-46, Cowan-1 and Smith, as well as to the cell wall and protein A. Peptidoglycan produced a mitogenic effect only in B-lymphocytes, and teichoic acid showed no mitogenic activity in mouse splenocytes. The mitogenic effect of staphylococcal antigens on splenocytes depended on the dose of the antigen and the time of cultivation. After 48-hour cultivation the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into the DNA of mouse cells was 5 times higher than into the DNA of guinea-pig cells. The optimum mitogenic dose in thymectomized BALB/c mice with respect to splenocytes was higher than in normal BALB/c mice practically by one order.     

Mitogenic and binding properties of monoclonal antibodies to the prolactin receptor in Nb2 rat lymphoma cells. Selective enhancement by anti-mouse IgG

Three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) (T6, U5, and U6) against prolactin (PRL) receptors in rat liver were studied in the rat lymphoma lactogen-dependent (Nb2-11C) and autonomous (Nb2-SP) cell lines. The mAbs had strong affinity for lactogen receptors (Ka = 12-14 nM-1), similar to that of human growth hormone (hGH) which is a lactogenic hormone. T6 and hGH competed for the same binding site, while U5 and U6 interacted with another epitope. The 125I-hGH-receptor complex could be immunoprecipitated by either U5 or U6, but not by T6. Affinity labeling and immunoblotting revealed that hGH and U6 bind to a protein of 63-65 kDa. T6, U5, and U6 were mitogenic in Nb2-11C cells but their respective potencies were 185-, 70-, and 4700-fold lower than that of hGH. Anti-mouse IgG enhanced the mitogenic effect of all three mAbs and almost completely abolished the differences between them, although their mitogenic activity was still 60-120-fold lower than hGH. Des-13-hGH, a competitive antagonist of hGH which hardly effected the binding of 125I-U5, inhibited the U5-stimulated proliferation of Nb2-11C cells in a noncompetitive manner, indicating that simultaneous binding of both ligands fixed the receptor in a nonactive conformation. A Fab fragment of T6 was not mitogenic, and inhibited the hGH-induced mitogenesis in a competitive manner, but its mitogenicity could be restored by anti-mouse IgG. We suggest that the dimerization or oligomerization of the lactogen receptor in Nb2-11C cells is an obligatory step in the transduction of the mitogenic signal. It may be induced by binding of the mAb to a site, which can be either identical or may even be distinct from that which binds the lactogenic hormone.     

Mitogenic Effect of the Mannans from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Mouse Spleen Lymphocytes

The DNA synthetic activities of mannans isolated from two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were examined in vitro using spleen cells obtained from normal or nude BALB/c strain mice. A highly branched mannan isolated from the S. cerevisiae wild type strain induced a greater increase in mitogenic activity than those displayed by the mannan of the S. cerevisiae X2180–1A-5 mutant strain which possessed fewer branching moieties. Acid-hydrolyzed wild type strain mannan with two-thirds of the molecular weight of the parent intact mannan showed weak mitogenicity. Increases in the DNA synthetic activities of nude and normal spleen cells were almost the same as that of wild type strain mannan, while nylon wool column-passed spleen cells obtained from both normal and nude mice did not show mitogenicity with this mannan. The results indicated that the mitogenic activity was responsible for the highly branched structure of the wild type strain mannan, and that this mannan is a B-cell mitogen.     

Modulation of myelopoiesis by different bacterial cell-wall components: induction of colony-stimulating activity (by pure preparations, low-molecular-weight degradation products, and a synthetic low-molecular analog of bacterial cell-wall components) in vitro.

Chemically pure preparations of three structurally unrelated components of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria (BCWC), lipid A, outer-membrane lipoprotein, and murein, were tested for lymphocyte mitogenicity and the ability to induce colony-stimulating activity (CSA) in various serum-free tissue-culture systems. All three components were B-cell mitogens and induced CSA in spleen-cell cultures. However, in lymphnode-cell cultures the concentrations of these agents required for either mitogenicity or CSA induction differed markedly. Moreover, in contrast to thymidine incorporation, CSA induction was not influenced by pre-irradiation of the cells. Conversely, after removal of phagocytic cells with the iron-magnet technique, CSA was no longer inducible by BCWC, while lymphocyte proliferation was barely impaired. All three BCWC readily induced CSA release in cultures of adherent peritoneal cells without influencing the release of a cytoplasmic enzyme. BCWC-dependent CSA release from adherent peritoneal cells was not influenced by pretratment of the cultures with anti-immunoglobulin, but completely suppressed by preincubation with anti-macrophage-1.2 alloantiserum and complement. CSA induction in macrophage cultures was also achieved with a low-molecular-weight synthetic muramyldipeptide and degradation products of lipoprotein. The results suggest that the induction of CSA is not directly related to the mitogenic, immunogenic, or antigenic properties of the BCWC, but that BCWC-mediated CSA production is caused by a direct “hormone-like” interaction of the agents with mature macrophages.     

Immunobiological properties of staphylococcal enterotoxins type A, B, C, D and E

Comparative study of mitogenic and interferonogenic properties of staphylococcal enterotoxins of different serotypes is done. It is revealed that preparations of enterotoxins are polyclonal mitogens and have interferon-inducing activity. It is stated that enterotoxin of D type has the highest mitogenic activity, which is shown by interferon-inducing activity of A type toxin.     

Mutational analysis of the superantigen staphylococcal exfoliative toxin A (ETA)

Exfoliative toxin A (ETA) is known to be a causative agent of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). Although relatively little is known about exactly how the exfoliative toxins (ETs) cause SSSS, much has been discovered recently that may help elucidate the mechanism(s) by which ETA exhibits activities such as lymphocyte mitogenicity and epidermolytic activity. Here, we have shown that highly purified ETA does have T lymphocyte mitogenic activity in that wild-type ETA induced T cell proliferation whereas several single amino acid mutants lacked significant activity. Neither wild-type ETA nor any single amino acid mutants were proteolytic for a casein substrate, yet esterase activity was detected in wild-type ETA and several mutants, but eliminated in other mutants. A mutation in aa 164 (Asp to Ala) showed a 9-fold increase in esterase activity as well. Finally, we correlated esterase activity with epidermolytic activity. All mutants that lost esterase activity also lost epidermolytic activity. Conversely, mutants that retained esterase activity also retained exfoliative activity, implicating serine protease or serine protease-like activity in the causation of SSSS. Moreover, the mutants that displayed markedly reduced T cell superantigenic activity retained their epidermolytic activity (although some of these mutants required higher doses of toxin to cause disease), which suggests an ancillary role for this activity in SSSS causation.     

Bacterial cell wall-expressed protein A triggers supraclonal B-cell responses upon in vivo infection with Staphylococcus aureus

We have previously shown that staphylococcal protein A (SpA) anchored to the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus acts as a virulence factor in septic arthritis. Apart from the ability of SpA to interact with Fcgamma, it also binds to Fab-regions with immunoglobulin heavy chains encoded by the V(H) clan III gene family. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether in vivo expression of SpA by staphylococci induces V(H)III-dependent supraclonal B-cell responses, and whether such responses may affect the ability of the host to produce anti-staphylococcal antibodies. Upon primary infection of mice, a SpA-expressing staphylococcal strain gave rise to significantly higher serum levels of V(H)III-encoded antibodies specific for SpA devoid of Fcgamma-binding ability (MSpA) than an isogeneic spa deletion mutant strain. The V(H)III-dependence of MSpA-specific antibody responses was affected by the size of the staphylococcal inoculum, and differed for IgM and IgG isotypes. Mice that had recovered from a prior mild infection from a SpA-expressing strain were protected against infection-induced weight loss upon reinfection. Although no lasting MSpA-specific IgG was induced by previous mild infection, these protected mice possessed IgG specific for clumping factor A, a conventional staphylococcal protein antigen. Our findings demonstrate that the expression of a B-cell superantigen during staphylococcal infection causes supraclonal changes to the immune system. Notably, while superantigen-triggered B-cell responses do not favor the development of SpA-specific memory B-cells, such responses do not interfere with the development of antibodies specific for a staphylococcal protein antigen associated with protective immunity.     

Staphylococcus aureus protein A mediates invasion across airway epithelial cells through activation of RhoA GTPase signaling and proteolytic activity

Staphyococcus aureus and especially the epidemic methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains cause severe necrotizing pneumonia. The mechanisms whereby these organisms invade across the mucosal epithelial barrier to initiate invasive infection are not well understood. Protein A (SpA), a highly conserved and abundant surface protein of S. aureus, activates TNF receptor 1 and EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling cascades that can perturb the cytoskeleton. We demonstrate that wild-type S. aureus, but not spa mutants, invade across polarized airway epithelial cell monolayers via the paracellular junctions. SpA stimulated a RhoA/ROCK/MLC cascade, resulting in the contraction of the cytoskeleton. SpA(+) but not SpA(-) mutants stimulated activation of EGFR and along with subsequent calpain activity cleaved the membrane-spanning junctional proteins occludin and E-cadherin, facilitating staphylococcal transmigration through the cell-cell junctions. Treatment of polarized human airway epithelial monolayers with inhibitors of ROCK, EGFR, MAPKs, or calpain prevented staphylococcal penetration through the monolayers. In vivo, blocking calpain activity impeded bacterial invasion into the lung parenchyma. Thus, S. aureus exploits multiple receptors available on the airway mucosal surface to facilitate invasion across epithelial barriers.     

Immunoneutralization of growth differentiation factor 9 reveals it partially accounts for mouse oocyte mitogenic activity

Paracrine factors secreted by oocytes play a pivotal role in promoting early ovarian follicle growth and in defining a morphogenic gradient in antral follicles, yet the exact identities of these oocyte factors remain unknown. This study was conducted to determine the extent to which the mitogenic activity of mouse oocytes can be attributed to growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9). To do this, specific anti-human GDF9 monoclonal antibodies were generated. Based on epitope mapping and bioassays, a GDF9 neutralizing antibody, mAb-GDF9-53, was characterized with very low cross-reactivity with related transforming growth factor (TGF)beta superfamily members, including BMP15 (also called GDF9B). Pep-SPOT epitope mapping showed that mAb-GDF9-53 recognizes a short 4-aa sequence, and three-dimensional peptide modeling suggested that this binding motif lies at the C-terminal fingertip of mGDF9. As predicted by sequence alignments and modeling, the antibody detected recombinant GDF9, but not BMP15 in a Western blot and GDF9 protein in oocyte extract and oocyte-conditioned medium. In a mouse mural granulosa cell (MGC) bioassay, mAb-GDF9-53 completely abolished the mitogenic effects of GDF9, but had no effect on TGFbeta1 or activin A-stimulated MGC proliferation. An unrelated IgG at the same dose had no effect on GDF9 activity. This GDF9 neutralizing antibody was then tested in an established oocyte-secreted mitogen bioassay, where denuded oocytes cocultured with granulosa cells promote cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The mAb-GDF9-53 dose dependently (0-160 microg/ml) decreased the mitogenic activity of oocytes but only by approximately 45% at the maximum dose of mAb. Just 5 microg/ml of mAb-GDF9-53 neutralized 90% of recombinant mGDF9 mitogenic activity, but only 15% of oocyte activity. Unlike mAb-GDF9-53, a TGFbeta pan-specific neutralizing antibody did not affect the mitogenic capacity of the oocyte, but completely neutralized TGF beta 1-induced DNA synthesis. This study has characterized a specific GDF9 neutralizing antibody. Our data provide the first direct evidence that the endogenous GDF9 protein is an important oocyte-secreted mitogen, but also show that GDF9 accounts for only part of total oocyte bioactivity.     

Piezoelectric crystal immunosensor for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B

The work of fabricating a piezoelectric (PZ) immunosensor for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is presented in this paper. Three different immobilization methods using anti-SEB antibody onto a gold electrode of the PZ have been conducted. The electrode coated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) has shown the best result. The fabricated PZ sensor can be used for SEB determination in the range of 2.5–60 μg/ml with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. Milk samples spiked with various concentrations of SEB gave an average of 111% recovery of the toxin. The SEB assay is specific. For example the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) at 40 μg/ml gave 6.44% of the signal while staphylococcal enterotoxin D (SED) appeared to give no detectable signal. After regeneration with 1.2 M NaOH, the coated crystal could be reused three times with retention of 66% of the initial signal. The crystal has also been found to be stable for 3 days when stored at 4 °C in a dry atmosphere without appreciable loss of activity.     

Immunopotentiator separated from hot water extract of the seed of Benincasa cerifera Savi (Tohgashi)

Summary The separation and properties of a new immunopotentiator, Benincasa cerifera mitogen (BCM) fraction, were investigated. BCM fraction was separated from hot water extract of the seed of Benincasa cerifera Savi (Tohgashi) by gel filtration using Sepharose 4B. BCM fraction is a heteropolymer consisting of uronic acid, neutral sugars, protein, and phosphorus. The proliferation and differentiation of murine B cells were markedly stimulated by BCM fraction. The in vitro development of peritoneal macrophages into antitumor macrophages was also activated by the addition of BCM fraction to cultures. BCM fraction augmented the IgM and IgG antibody responses against sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and the induction of delayed-type footpad reaction against SRBC. The antitumor activity of BCM fraction was observed in terms of prolongation of the survival period of mice bearing Meth A fibrosarcoma. After hydrolysis with 1% acetic acid at 100° C for 4 h, marked mitogenic activity was found in a precipitate composed of 29% neutral sugars, 50% uronic acid, 1% protein, and 0.1% phosphorus. The precipitate did not contain detectable amino sugar. The possibility that the biological activities of BCM fraction may be due to contamination by bacterial lipopoly-saccharide was ruled out on the basis of the results of chemical analysis and of marked mitogenicity noted in C3H/HeJ spleen cell cultures. Abbreviations used: BCM, Benincasa cerifera mitogen; SRBC, sheep erythrocytes; PFC, plaque-forming cells; TNP-HRBC, trinitrophenylated horse erythrocytes; PBA, polyclonal B-cell activation; SI, stimulation index     

The adhesion of protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus organisms to soluble-staphylococcal-antigens-coated HeLa cells mediated by specific antibodies

The adhesion of staphylococcal protein A (SpA)-bearing Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I organisms to HeLa cells was enhanced by pretreatment of HeLa cells with staphylococcal extracellular antigens and antibodies to them. The adhesion of HLj, an SpA-poor mutant derived from Cowan I, to HeLa cells was not enhanced by the same pretreatment of HeLa cells. Furthermore, the enhanced staphylococcal adhesion was inhibited by soluble SpA. The antigen(s) responsible for the enhanced staphylococcal adhesion was(were) heat stable. Pretreatment of HeLa cells with the mixture of staphylococcal extracellular antigens and antibodies to them also enhanced the adhesion of Cowan I. Similarly the adhesion of Cowan I was enhanced by pretreatment of HeLa cells with extracellular antigens of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antibodies to them. These results indicated that cell-bound SpA mediated the binding of S. aureus to immune complexes composed of extracellular bacterial products and antibodies to them bound to the surface of HeLa cells, and suggested another role of cell-bound SpA as a co-adhesin with other factors in infections due to S. aureus.