Adjuvant Action of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antibody Response

A study was performed to clarify the roles of primary and secondary injections of antigen and adjuvant (capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae, CPS-K) in induction of antibody responses and in development of immunological memory in mice to bovine serum albumin (BSA). A primary injecion of BSA alone neither induced significant primary antibody response nor increased immunological memory for a secondary antibody response but, if primary injections of BSA and CPS-K were performed simultaneously, high antibody responses were induced. Moreover, a prior injection of BSA alone or CPS-K alone decreased the level of primary antibody response and the degree of increase in memory following the subsequent injection of BSA mixed with CPS-K. In contrast, a secondary injection of BSA alone into mice once primed with a mixture of BSA and CPS-K elicited very high secondary type antibody response and increased secondarily the memory for a tertiary antibody response. Injection of CPS-K simultaneously with or shortly before or after the secondary injection of BSA did not increase the level of the secondary antibody response and the degree of the secondary increase in memory. Augmentation of the secondary antibody response was elicited by simultaneous injection of CPS-K only when the secondary response was induced inadequately by a suboptimum or supraoptimum dose of antigen.     

Adjuvant Action of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antibody Response

Study was made to clarify the experimental conditions for the capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPS-K) to exhibit maximum adjuvant effect on antibody production to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in mice. To obtain the maximum primary antibody response and also the strongest priming for a secondary response to BSA, 1000 μg of CPS-K had to be injected intramuscularly into the same or adjacent site of BSA injection within the period of 1 hr before to 6 hr after the BSA injection. The optimum amount of BSA giving the maximum antibody response and also the strongest priming under these experimental conditions was 15 mg. In mice thus primed, an extremely high secondary response was induced by injecting 0.5 mg of BSA 30 days after the initial injection. The minimum amount of CPS-K, to exhibit a strong adjuvant action, was 100 μg, which was equal to the minimum amount to induce immunologic paralysis to a homologous antigen. Extremely large amounts, such as 100 to 300 mg per mouse of BSA, were also strongly immunogenic when injected together with paralyzing doses of CPS-K. In vitro admixture of BSA and CPS-K before injection did not strengthen adjuvant action of CPS-K. Alum-precipitated BSA mixed with CPS-K was not more immunogenic than native BSA mixed with CPS-K. Addition of Freund's complete adjuvant to an injection of BSA and CPS-K mixture did not enhance the adjuvant effect of CPS-K.     

Adjuvant Action of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antibody Response

The neutral fraction (neutral CPS-K) of Klebsiella pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide (CPS-K) from type 1, Kasuya strain, has already been reported as the active substance responsible for the strong adjuvant effect of CPS-K. The present results demonstrate that neutral CPS-K exhibits further common biological activities with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from Salmonella enteritidis. The intensity of the lethality in mice of neutral CPS-K by the intraperitoneal route is very similar to that of LPS. Its lethality for mice by the intravenous (i.v.) route is significantly stronger than that of LPS, because the degree of increase in the sensitivity to their lethality by i.v. challenge is smaller for LPS than for neutral CPS-K. The intensity of the pyrogenicity of neutral CPS-K in rabbits is approximately one-tenth of that of LPS as judged by the minimal pyrogenic doses and fever indices. The skin-preparatory potency of neutral CPS-K for the dermal Shwartzman phenomenon in rabbits is also approximately one-tenth of that of LPS compared on the basis of the minimal skin-preparatory doses. When injected i.v., neutral CPS-K exhibits a provocative effect on hemorrhagic reactions in skin sites prepared with neutral CPS-K or LPS.     

Adjuvant Action of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antibody Response

A study was made to characterize the active substance for the extraordinarily strong adjuvant effect of the capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPS-K) type 1 Kasuya strain. CPS-K was fractionated into acidic and neutral CPS-K by the addition of cetyl-pyridinium chloride. Neutral CPS-K exhibited an extremely strong adjuvant effect. The active substance in neutral CPS-K was precipitable when mixed with a rabbit homologous antiserum. The neutral CPS-K antigen was serologically distinct from the O antigen and from the acidic CPS-K which was the type-specific capsular antigen. Among preparations of neutral CPS-K from eight different strains of K. pneumoniae tested, the preparation from only one strain (MH-2) exhibited a strong adjuvant effect comparable to that of the neutral CPS-K from the Kasuya strain. The neutral CPS-Ks from Kasuya and MH-2 strains were antigenically identical. This antigen was not found in all preparations of neutral CPS-Ks obtained from seven different strains. Preparations of acidic CPS-Ks from all strains of K. pneumoniae tested with various serologic types including Kasuya and MH-2 strains were found to exhibit only weak adjuvant effects. The active substance (neutral CPS-K antigen from Kasuya strain) was shown to form a single peak upon analyses by gel filtration (Sephadex G-100) and ultracentrifugation. Sedimentation coefficient of the substance was approximately 20 S at a concentration of 5 mg per ml in 0.1 M NaCl. The active substance finally purified by gel filtration contained 65% sugars (as glucose equivalents), 6.8% hexuronic acids, 2.6% hexosamine, 2.3% proteins, and very small amounts of lipids.     

Adjuvant Action of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Antibody Response

Changes in the number of cells and the weight of various lymphoid organs of mice, such as the regional lymph node (right inguinal node), spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and peripheral blood, were followed after the subcutaneous injection of the capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPS-K). For comparison, the changes after injection of various polyclonal lymphocyte activators (PLA) including various preparations of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were concurrently studied. The number of cells of all of the lymphoid organs tested and that of nucleated cells in the peripheral blood decreased significantly within a few days after injection of CPS-K, and increased later. Above all, the increase in the number of cells and in the weight of the regional lymph node was most prominent (about 10 times larger than that of the normal control). Such a marked increase in the number of cells of the regional lymph node was not induced by the injection of any preparation of LPS or any other PLA tested. The initial decrease in the number of cells after CPS-K injection was most marked and long lasting in the thymus. Although LPS prepared by Westphal's method from Escherichia coli O55 or Salmonella enteritidis exhibited a stronger decreasing effect on the number of cells of the thymus, the effect of LPS prepared by Westphal's method from E. coli O111 or that by Boivin's method from E. coli O55 was similar to that of CPS-K. It is concluded therefore that CPS-K has the ability to decrease the number of cells of various lymphoid organs, especially that of the thymus, initially after injection, which is a property in common with LPS, and CPS-K has a unique ability to increase markedly the cells of various lymphoid organs, especially those of the regional lymph node, at later stages after injection. Considering that CPS-K exhibits a much stronger adjuvant effect on the antibody response than does LPS or other polyclonal lymphocyte activators, it is suggested that this extraordinarily potent activity of CPS-K in increasing the number of cells of the regional lymph node is closely related to its strong adjuvant action.     

Effect of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Host Resistance to Bacterial Infections

When Klebsiella pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide (CPS-K) from type 1, Kasuya strain, was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) immediately before i.p. bacterial challenge, the survival time of mice infected with Salmonella enteritidis NUB 1 (virulent strain) was shortened and the mortality rate for mice infected with S. enteritidis NUB 31 (avirulent strain) was enhanced. The promotion of infection with S. enteritidis NUB 1 by CPS-K depended upon its dose, the effect of CPS-K being demonstrable up to as little as 0.2 μg per mouse. In the case of S. enteritidis NUB 31, the effect of CPS-K was detectable only when more than 20 μg per mouse was injected. As a result of enumeration of bacterial populations in the peritoneal washing, blood, liver and spleen, it was revealed that CPS-K promoted in vivo growth of S. enteritidis NUB 1 and NUB 31. In addition, CPS-K enhanced the mortality rate in mice infected with Streptococcus pyogenes or Streptococcus pneumoniae. The peak CPS-K effect on infection with S. enteritidis NUB 1 was seen when given immediately before bacterial challenge. The active substance responsible for the infection-promoting effect of CPS-K was neutral CPS-K, which is distinct from the O antigen and from acidic CPS-K (the type-specific capsular antigen). Preparations of neutral CPS-K isolated from the other three strains of K. pneumoniae exhibited a marked infection-promoting effect comparable with that of preparations from the Kasuya strain. Neutral CPS-K, with identical antigenicity to that from the Kasuya strain, has already been found to exert a strong adjuvant effect on antibody responses to various antigens in mice. No parallelism exists between infection-promoting activity and adjuvant activity of neutral CPS-K.     

Effect of Capsular Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae on Host Resistance to Bacterial Infections

In normal mice, the total count of peritoneal leukocytes was markedly decreased after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the capsular polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPS-K) depending on the dosage injected. This decrease was mainly due to the depletion of macrophages, and a decrease in the number of lymphocytes occurred to a lesser extent. CPS-K in relatively smaller doses mobilized polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMN) into the peritoneal fluid but it decreased them transiently in larger doses. In mice infected i.p. with a virulent strain of Salmonella enteritidis, there was an abundant emigration of PMN into the peritoneal fluid. When 200 μg of CPS-K was injected i.p. immediately before bacterial challenge, emigration of PMN was markedly delayed for 48 hr after infection. Associated with this suppressed emigration of PMN, the numbers of macrophages and lymphocytes in the peritoneal fluid were significantly less in mice treated with CPS-K than those in untreated control mice for 48 hr after infection. The numbers of both cell-associated and extracellular bacteria in the peritoneal fluid were markedly greater in mice treated with CPS-K than those in untreated control mice. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, ingestion of bacteria by macrophages and PMN was not blocked by CPS-K or neutral CPS-K, the active substance responsible for the infection-promoting effect of CPS-K. It appeared that CPS-K somehow impaired the intraphagocytic bactericidal activity.     

Structure of Klebsiella Type 61 Capsular Polysaccharide

An aldotriouronic acid was isolated from the acid hydrolyzate of the polysaccharide from Klebsiella Type 61 (K-61), and its structure was established. Degradation of the permethylated polysaccharide with base established the identity of the sugar unit preceding the glucosyluronic acid residue. The modes of linkage and the sequence of different sugar residues were further confirmed by Smith degradation of K-61. The anomeric configurations of the difierent sugar residues were determined by oxidation of peracetylated native, and carboxyl-reduced, polysaccharides with chromium trioxide. The anomeric configuration of nonreducing D-galactosyl side-chains was further confirmed by enzymic degradation of K-61. Finally, gentiobiose was identified in the partial, acid hydrolyzate of K-61. Based on these results, the structure assigned the repeating unit of K-61 was as follows.

     

肺炎克雷伯氏菌荚膜多糖的提取纯化及其对细胞免疫活性的影响

采用液体深层培养得肺炎克雷伯氏菌Kp9株发酵液,研究确立了菌体快速裂解条件:NP40 1%和胰蛋白酶25 0IUg菌体,50℃作用1h ,然后加入溶菌酶80μg/mL ,56℃作用1h ;裂解液经超滤浓缩和有机溶剂沉淀获得多糖粗品;多糖粗品先后经CTAB吸附分离,DEAE-SepharoseFastFlow离子交换和SephacrylS 30 0HR凝胶过滤纯化,得分子量分布相对均一的多糖纯品,产品得率为0.25 1g/L。采用淋巴细胞转化实验分别探讨了多糖粗品和纯品的免疫活性,研究显示荚膜多糖具有高效的体外细胞免疫活性,并具有典型的双向免疫调节作用。研究结论为肺炎克雷伯氏菌荚膜多糖的开发奠定了前期基础。     

Further Studies of the Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae Possessing Strong Adjuvanticity: III. Augmentation of the Antibody Response to Subcutaneously Injected Sheep Red Blood Cells by the Adjuvant Polysaccharide

The adjuvant action of the O3 antigen of Klebsiella (KO3) on the antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was elucidated by injecting both KO3 and SRBC subcutaneously at the right inguinal region of SMA mice. We demonstrated that KO3 exhibits a novel ability to augment anti-SRBC plaque-forming cell responses in both the local lymph node and the spleen at a relatively late stage of immunization. Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, dextran sulfate and concanavalin A showed such an action only minimally. In parallel with the development of the adjuvant action, KO3 definitely activated B cells in the local lymph node polyclonally for either IgM or IgG synthesis, suggesting that the mechanism of the adjuvant action includes direct stimulation of B cells by KO3 at the late stage. Neither increase in trapping of lymphocytes in the local lymph node nor change in tissue distribution of antigen was shown to be primarily involved in the mechanism of the adjuvant action.     

Amino Acid Substitutions of MagA in Klebsiella pneumoniae Affect the Biosynthesis of the Capsular Polysaccharide

Mucoviscosity-associated gene A (magA) of Klebsiella pneumoniae contributes to K1 capsular polysaccharide (CPS) biosynthesis. Based on sequence homology and gene alignment, the magA gene has been predicted to encode a Wzy-type CPS polymerase. Sequence alignment with the Wzy_C and RfaL protein families (which catalyze CPS or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis) and topological analysis has suggested that eight highly conserved residues, including G308, G310, G334, G337, R290, P305, H323, and N324, were located in a hypothetical loop region. Therefore, we used site-directed mutagenesis to study the role of these residues in CPS production, and to observe the consequent phenotypes such as mucoviscosity, serum and phagocytosis resistance, and virulence (as assessed in mice) in pyogenic liver abscess strain NTUH-K2044. Alanine substitutions at R290 or H323 abolished all of these properties. The G308A mutant was severely impaired for these functions. The G334A mutant remained mucoid with decreased CPS production, but its virulence was significantly reduced in vivo. No phenotypic change was observed for strains harboring magA G310A, G337A, P305A, or N324A mutations. Therefore, R290, G308, H323, and G334 are functionally important residues of the MagA (Wzy) protein of K. pneumoniae NTUH-K2044, capsular type K1. These amino acids are also likely to be important for the function of Wzy in other capsular types in K. pneumoniae and other species bearing Wzy_C family proteins.     

Capsular Types of Klebsiella pneumoniae Revisited by wzc Sequencing

Capsule is an important virulence factor in bacteria. A total of 78 capsular types have been identified in Klebsiella pneumoniae. However, there are limitations in current typing methods. We report here the development of a new genotyping method based on amplification of the variable regions of the wzc gene. Fragments corresponding to the variable region of wzc were amplified and sequenced from 76 documented capsular types of reference or clinical strains. The remaining two capsular types (reference strains K15 and K50) lacked amplifiable wzc genes and were proven to be acapsular. Strains with the same capsular type exhibited ≧94% DNA sequence identity across the variable region (CD1-VR2-CD2) of wzc. Strains with distinct K types exhibited <80% DNA sequence identity across this region, with the exception of three pairs of strains: K22/K37, K9/K45, and K52/K79. Strains K22 and K37 shared identical capsular polysaccharide synthesis (cps) genes except for one gene with a difference at a single base which resulted in frameshift mutation. The wzc sequences of K9 and K45 exhibited high DNA sequence similarity but possessed different genes in their cps clusters. K52 and K79 exhibited 89% wzc DNA sequence identity but were readily distinguished from each other at the DNA level; in contrast, strains with the same capsular type as K52 exhibited 100% wzc sequence identity. A total of 29 strains from patients with bacteremia were typed by the wzc system. wzc DNA sequences confirmed the documented capsular type for twenty-eight of these clinical isolates; the remaining strain likely represents a new capsular type. Thus, the wzc genotyping system is a simple and useful method for capsular typing of K. pneumoniae.     

Isolation of a Bacteriophage Specific for a New Capsular Type of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Characterization of Its Polysaccharide Depolymerase

Background

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the major pathogens causing hospital-acquired multidrug-resistant infections. The capsular polysaccharide (CPS) is an important virulence factor of K. pneumoniae. With 78 capsular types discovered thus far, an association between capsular type and the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae has been observed.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To investigate an initially non-typeable K. pneumoniae UTI isolate NTUH-K1790N, the cps gene region was sequenced. By NTUH-K1790N cps-PCR genotyping, serotyping and determination using a newly isolated capsular type-specific bacteriophage, we found that NTUH-K1790N and three other isolates Ca0507, Ca0421 and C1975 possessed a new capsular type, which we named KN2. Analysis of a KN2 CPS⁻ mutant confirmed the role of capsule as the target recognized by the antiserum and the phage. A newly described lytic phage specific for KN2 K. pneumoniae, named 0507-KN2-1, was isolated and characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Whole-genome sequencing of 0507-KN2-1 revealed a 159 991 bp double-stranded DNA genome with a G+C content of 46.7% and at least 154 open reading frames. Based on its morphological and genomic characteristics, 0507-KN2-1 was classified as a member of the Myoviridae phage family. Further analysis of this phage revealed a 3738-bp gene encoding a putative polysaccharide depolymerase. A recombinant form of this protein was produced and assayed to confirm its enzymatic activity and specificity to KN2 capsular polysaccharides. KN2 K. pneumoniae strains exhibited greater sensitivity to this depolymerase than these did to the cognate phage, as determined by spot analysis.

Conclusions/Significance

Here we report that a group of clinical strains possess a novel Klebsiella capsular type. We identified a KN2-specific phage and its polysaccharide depolymerase, which could be used for efficient capsular typing. The lytic phage and depolymerase also have potential as alternative therapeutic agents to antibiotics for treating K. pneumoniae infections, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains.     

Further Studies of the Polysaccharide of Klebsiella pneumoniae Possessing Strong Adjuvanticity: I. Production of the Adjuvant Polysaccharide by Noncapsulated Mutant

In culture fluid, Klebsiella pneumoniae type 1 Kasuya strain produces polysaccharide exhibiting a strong adjuvant effect. The active substance responsible for the strong adjuvant effect of the polysaccharide is not its acidic polysaccharide fraction (the type-specific capsular antigen) but the neutral polysaccharide fraction. In the present study, a mutant which did not produce the type-specific capsular polysaccharide was isolated from ultraviolet-irradiated cells of K. pneumoniae type 1 Kasuya strain which had been labeled with leucine-requiring marker by selecting unagglutinable cells with the antiserum to the type-specific capsular polysaccharide. Serological tests showed that the type-specific acidic capsular polysaccharide was present neither on the cells surface nor in the culture fluid of the mutant. Electron microscopically, the mutant did not possess any capsular material. On the other hand, nearly an equal amount of neutral polysaccharide antigen was produced in culture fluids of the noncapsulated mutant and the parent strain. The neutral polysaccharide antigen produced by the noncapsulated mutant exhibited the same degree of strong adjuvant effect on antibody response to bovine gammaglobulin in mice as that produced by the parent strain. The relationship between the neutral polysaccharide antigen in culture fluid and the O antigen of K. pneumoniae was discussed.     

Influence of Cellular Factors on Immune Unresponsiveness Induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae Capsular Antigen

The mechanisms by which immune unresponsiveness (immune paralysis) develops are still uncertain. The present work was based on the assumption that this condition may be due to failure of certain activities of the macrophages. Data from passive transfer of such cells are interpreted as supporting this hypothesis. Purified capsular polysaccharide from type 2 Klebsiella pneumoniae induced immunity when given to Swiss albino mice in 5-mug amounts and immune paralysis when given in 1,000-mug amounts. The unresponsive state lapsed to that of acquired immunity 3 months after induction. Passive transfer of cells from groups of K. pneumoniae immune, "paralyzed," and control mice showed that peritoneal cells from "paralyzed" donors induced significant protection against challenge in both control and "paralyzed" recipients. In contrast, spleen cells from control, "paralyzed," and immune animals failed to effect such transfer. The finding that unresponsiveness could be terminated by peritoneal cells and not spleen cells indicates that macrophages played a primary role in immune paralysis, possibly owing to their loss of capacity to transfer factors or information for induction of antibody synthesis.