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Journal ArticleDOI

Nature and Heterogeneity of the Antigens of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Involved in the Serum Bactericidal Reaction.

01 Aug 1970-Infection and Immunity (American Society for Microbiology (ASM))-Vol. 2, Iss: 2, pp 162-168
TL;DR: The results suggest that the antigens involved in the bactericidal reaction are lipopolysaccharides of several distinct specificities, and it is postulated that surface-blockingantigens may restrict access to the lipopoly Saccharides in the intact organisms.
Abstract: Sixty strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been classified into four main groups according to their resistance to killing by human complement together with either normal human or immune rabbit antibodies. The rabbit antisera had been raised against 10 of the strains tested. The normal human antibodies had probably been formed against cross-reacting organisms since they could be removed by absorption with N. pharyngis sicca, N. pharyngis flavus, N. catarrhalis, or Escherichia coli. Bactericidal antibodies could be absorbed from both normal and immune sera by N. gonorrhoeae which had been autoclaved or trypsinized, and by red cells coated with gonococcal lipopolysaccharides. The results suggest that the antigens involved in the bactericidal reaction are lipopolysaccharides of several distinct specificities. Since individual sera always reacted more widely in hemagglutination than in bactericidal tests, it is postulated that surface-blocking antigens may restrict access to the lipopolysaccharides in the intact organisms.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A large number of observations on the Relevance of Serum Resistance as a Bacterial Pathoenkity Determinant from Experimental Infecions of Laboratory Animals suggest that Serum Bactericidal activity and resistance to Serum Restance are related.

451 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The serotyping system is based upon the antigenic specificity of a protein serotype antigen, which is the major polypeptide of the outer membrane of the gonococcus and accounts for over 60% of that membrane's total protein.
Abstract: Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been subdivided into several classes of serological distinct groups. The serotyping system is based upon the antigenic specificity of a protein serotype antigen. This protein is the major polypeptide of the outer membrane of the gonococcus and accounts for over 60% of that membrane's total protein. The serotype antigen complex was isolated by mild extraction of intact organisms in 200 mM lithium acetate buffer, pH 6.0 with 10 mM EDTA for 2 h at 45 degrees C. The extract was fractionated on Sepharose 6B and partially purified by precipitation at pH 4.2 by addition of 10% (vol/vol) acetic acid. Each serotype antigen has a unique subunit molecular size as determined by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Preliminary typing of a gonococcal strain may be performed by comparative SDA-PAGE. To date, 16 different serotypes, representing a diverse distribution, have been isolated.

220 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These antibodies now provide standardized reagents for the rapid and precise serological characterization of many strains of N. gonorrhoeae and demonstrated serological relationships between the strains which paralleled those observed with conventional polyvalent antisera.
Abstract: Hybrid cells producing monoclonal antibodies against antigens of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were obtained by the polyethylene glycol-mediated fusion of mouse myeloma cells and lymphocytes from mice immunized with gonococcal protein I or outer membrane proteins. From four fusions, 16 phenotypically stable, independently cloned hybrid cell lines were selected for continued study. Each of the cell lines produced a characteristically different monoclonal antibody which reacted in immunoprecipitation assays with a unique antigenic determinant on protein I of the outer membrane complex of the bacteria. In antibody binding, immunofluorescence, and coagglutination assays these antibodies each reacted with a restricted group of N. gonorrhoeae strains. None of the monoclonal antibodies reacted with 17 other different species of Neisseria or with Branhamella catarrhalis. When tested on 34 N. gonorrhoeae reference serotyping strains, the monoclonal antibodies demonstrated serological relationships between the strains which paralleled those observed with conventional polyvalent antisera. These antibodies now provide standardized reagents for the rapid and precise serological characterization of many strains of N. gonorrhoeae. Images

217 citations


Cites result from "Nature and Heterogeneity of the Ant..."

  • ...These investigators' results were similar to those of Glynn and Ward (16) who also used a bacteriocidal assay to divide 60 gonococcal strains in four broad overlapping groups....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Protein III antibodies in normal and immune human serum play a role in serum resistance of N. gonorrhoeae, and killing by immune serum was prevented or blocked by IgG isolated from NHS.
Abstract: Neisseria gonorrhoeae that resist complement-dependent killing by normal human serum (NHS) are sometimes killed by immune convalescent serum from patients recovering from disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). In these studies, killing by immune serum was prevented or blocked by IgG isolated from NHS. Purified human IgG antibodies directed against gonococcal protein III, an antigenically conserved outer membrane protein, contained most of the blocking activity in IgG. Antibodies specific for gonococcal porin (protein I), the major outer membrane protein, displayed no blocking function. In separate experiments, immune convalescent DGI serum which did not exhibit bactericidal activity was restored to killing by selective depletion of protein III antibodies by immunoabsorption. These studies indicate that protein III antibodies in normal and immune human serum play a role in serum resistance of N. gonorrhoeae.

174 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Human beings are the only reservoir for the gonococcus, and in spite of public health efforts to control this pathogen, the availability of adequate antibiotic therapy for 40 years, close to a mill...
Abstract: Human beings are the only reservoir for the gonococcus. In spite of public health efforts to control this pathogen, and the availability of adequate antibiotic therapy for 40 years, close to a mill...

129 citations

References
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MonographDOI
01 Jan 1946
TL;DR: Topley and Wilson's Principles of bacteriology and immunity is a treatise on bacteriological immunity and its role in infectious disease.
Abstract: Topley and Wilson's Principles of bacteriology and immunity , Topley and Wilson's Principles of bacteriology and immunity , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی

645 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It has been found that the lactobacilli and anaerobic streptococci become established immediately after birth and persist in large numbers, not only in the large intestine but also in the stomach and in the small intestine, while other bacterial species become established at different periods of time after birth, exhibit characteristic anatomic localizations, and greatly fluctuate in numbers.
Abstract: Selective culture media, and equipment for anaerobic incubation of large numbers of specimens, have been developed to facilitate the quantitative enumeration of the various aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species present in the gastrointestinal tract. The evolution of this flora has been followed in young mice from several colonies by cultivating homogenates of the different parts of the gastrointestinal tract at daily intervals from the time of birth to the time of weaning. It has been found that the lactobacilli and anaerobic streptococci become established immediately after birth and persist in large numbers, not only in the large intestine but also in the stomach and in the small intestine. In contrast, the anaerobic bacilli of the bacteroides group become established only after the 16th day; they multiply only in the large intestine but persist in this organ in very large numbers. Other bacterial species become established at different periods of time after birth, exhibit characteristic anatomic localizations, and greatly fluctuate in numbers. In general, the populations of enterobacilli and enterococci decrease precipitously after having reached a maximum level shortly after the beginning of colonization.

333 citations


"Nature and Heterogeneity of the Ant..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...Gonococci were incubated at 37 C in specially modified milk churns (16) under a manometrically adjusted atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air in the presence of excess moisture....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: T OPley and Wilson's great two-volume work is now in one volume at $12..

268 citations


"Nature and Heterogeneity of the Ant..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Early work on gonococcal antigens was summarized by Wilson and Miles (19)....

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Journal Article
TL;DR: It is confirmed that K antigens influence the sensitivity to complement of strains of Escherichia coli and their relation to virulence is discussed.
Abstract: We have confirmed that K antigens influence the sensitivity to complement of strains of Escherichia coli. Resistant strains bound more polycation and by inference therefore had a higher surface negative charge than sensitive strains. Extracts containing K antigen non-specifically inhibited red cell agglutination and this inhibitory activity was roughly proportional to complement resistance. All of five resistant strains became more sensitive to complement when grown at unusual temperatures and extracts from them then had less inhibitory activity. In four strains of serotype O6 K13 complement resistance was proportional to K antigen content measured by immunodiffusion. However, purified K antigen from a resistant strain (WF82) had much greater agglutination inhibiting activity weight for weight than purified K antigen from a sensitive strain (WF96). In experiments with 125I-labelled haemolysin K antigens decreased the binding of both IgG and IgM antibodies and also directly reduced complement activity. The mechanisms of action of K antigens and their relation to virulence are discussed.

125 citations


"Nature and Heterogeneity of the Ant..." refers background in this paper

  • ...How far such antigens are responsible for virulence is still debated in the enterobacteria (10) and is pure speculation in N....

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Journal ArticleDOI
01 May 1948-Nature
TL;DR: It was concluded that the fraction in saline extracts which was adsorbed to erythrocytes was a combination of the type-specific polysaccharide with some other substance.
Abstract: WE recently reported that saline extracts of smooth strains of Haemophilus influenzae (Type b) contain a substance adsorbable to erythrocytes1. Cells treated with such extracts are agglutinated by type-specific antisera. A sample of the type-specific polysaccharide, prepared by the method of Dingle and Fothergill2, absorbed from immune sera their power of agglutinating erythrocytes so sensitized, but was not itself capable of sensitizing them. We concluded, therefore, that the fraction in saline extracts which was adsorbed to erythrocytes was a combination of the type-specific polysaccharide with some other substance.

96 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...To sensitize sheep red cells, the lipopolysaccharide was treated with alkali (7), made up to 12....

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