Interaction of Haemophilus influenzae with human erythrocytes and oropharyngeal epithelial cells is mediated by a common fimbrial epitope

The role of fimbriae in the adherence of Haemophilus influenzae to oropharyngeal epithelial cells and the hemagglutination (HA) of human Anton-positive erythrocytes was examined. HA of bacteria was lost after shearing. Fimbriae purified from the extracellular fluid caused HA and bound to oropharyngeal epithelial cells, as analyzed with immunoperoxidase staining, in a way which was similar to the adherence of bacteria to these cells: binding was over the entire surface of the cells and showed cell-to-cell variation. The specific role of fimbriae in HA and adherence was further examined by inhibition experiments with monoclonal antibodies elicited against the isolated fimbriae. These monoclonal antibodies bound along the entire length of the fimbriae, as seen by immunogold electron microscopy. The monoclonal antibodies and their Fab fragments inhibited HA (reduction in titer from 1:512 to 1:128 and 1:64, respectively) and inhibited the adherence of the homologous H. influenzae strain and of three of eight heterologous H. influenzae strains to oropharyngeal epithelial cells. These results indicate that fimbriae are involved in adherence and HA and that the binding site for the monoclonal antibodies on the fimbriae is not common on all strains.

Isolation and restriction endonuclease cleavage of Anaplasma marginale DNA in situ in agarose

Bacterial restriction endonucleases were used to produce DNA cleavage patterns that could be useful as tools to study the relatedness among Anaplasma marginale isolates. Bovine erythrocytes infected with A. marginale were lysed, washed, and embedded in agarose. The embedded erythrocytes and bacterial pathogens were partially digested by sequential infiltration of the agarose with acetone, lysozyme, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and proteinase K. The unfragmented genomic DNA was left supported and protected in a porous matrix. The DNA was digested in situ in agarose under the following conditions: (i) brief treatment with phenol, (ii) brief washing with distilled water, and (iii) adjustment of restriction enzyme digestion mixture to compensate for the volume of the agarose. The cleaved DNA was electrophoresed horizontally to produce a DNA cleavage pattern. Of 19 restriction enzymes screened, 12 produced distinct DNA bands from the genomes of each of the five A. marginale isolates examined. The DNA cleavage pattern produced from each isolate with a given restriction enzyme was reproducible. However, the DNA cleavage patterns produced from different isolates with a given restriction enzyme were not necessarily identical. This procedure could be modified for general bacterial DNA isolation, in situ agarose digestion, and manipulations.

Interaction of Sendai virions with resealed human erythrocyte ghosts. Lateral mobility of the viral glycoproteins in the cell membrane following fusion

Two independent methods demonstrated that resealed human erythrocyte ghosts undergo Sendai virus-mediated cell-cell fusion to a much lower degree (about 4%) than intact erythrocytes, in spite of similar levels of viral envelope-cell fusion in the two preparations. Fluorescence photobleaching recovery (FPR) showed similar lateral mobilities of the viral glycoproteins following fusion with either ghosts or whole erythrocytes. It is suggested that although viral glycoprotein mobilization in the cell membrane is essential for cell-cell fusion, the target cell properties are also important; in the absence of the required cellular parameters, the mobilization may not be a sufficient condition.

Cultivation of Anaplasma marginale from cattle in a Dermacentor cell line

A tick cell line derived from Dermacentor variabilis (RML-15) was inoculated with bovine RBC infected with Anaplasma marginale. Two hours after inoculation, numerous RBC were phagocytized by the tick cells. After one passage of the cell culture, numerous groups of Anaplasma-like particles were seen in the tick cell cytoplasm. Increased numbers of Anaplasma-like particles also were present. Seemingly, Anaplasma can multiply in tick cells.

A DNA element responsible for the different tissue specificities of Friend and Moloney retroviral enhancers

The transcriptional enhancers of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MuSV) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV) have different cell type specificities from that of the Friend MuLV. While the three enhancers are approximately equally active in erythroid cells, the Moloney MuSV and Moloney MuLV enhancers are 20- to 40-fold more active than the Friend MuLV enhancer in T-lymphoid cells. Using mutant enhancers, we have shown that specific differences between the nucleotide sequences of the Moloney MuSV and Friend MuLV enhancers are responsible for their different activities in T cells. Our data allow the localization of a DNA element, repeated several times within the enhancer, which modulates the activity of the enhancer in T cells without affecting it in erythroid cells. This element therefore appears to be one of the determinants of the tissue specificity of the enhancer.

Detection of Anaplasma-marginale-infected tick vectors by using a cloned DNA probe

Anaplasmosis is the most widely distributed of several important tick-borne diseases that constrain cattle production throughout much of the world. Evaluation of the effectiveness of disease control strategies that integrate vaccination with tick control requires the ability to monitor tick and cattle infection rates. To detect Anaplasma marginale in ticks and bovine erythrocytes, a 2-kilobase DNA fragment from a cloned A. marginale gene coding for a surface protein having a Mr of 105,000 was prepared and evaluated as a probe. The probe was species specific and detected A. marginale DNA derived from infected bovine erythrocytes and adult Dermacentor ticks infected either as nymphs or adults. Tick infection was confirmed by microscopy and test feeding on a susceptible calf. The sensitivity of the probe is suitable for detecting infected ticks in experimental and field epizootiology studies.

Electron microscopic identification of parvovirus virions in erythroid-line cells in fatal hydrops fetalis

Intrauterine infection with parvovirus B19 may lead to fatal hydrops fetalis. Intranuclear particles, consistent with parvovirus virions, within erythroid cells were readily identified on transmission electron microscopy of formalin-preserved material obtained at necropsy from a neonate and two fetuses in whom clinical and light microscopic criteria for parvovirus B19 infection were met. No such particles were seen in similar material from a neonate and two fetuses with erythroblastosis fetalis due to alpha-thalassemia, maternofetal Rh incompatibility, and an erythrocyte membrane protein defect. When other means of investigation are impracticable transmission electron microscopy is widely available and easily performed and may be of value in establishing a diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection.

Removal of bacteria from blood by charcoal hemoperfusion

E. coli bacteria were successfully removed from contaminated RBC/plasma by using a special matrix of micro-encapsulated albumin activated charcoal (ACAC). Efficacy of removing the bacteria was directly related to the amount of time the contaminated blood was in contact with the charcoal. The data indicated that the bacteria adhered to the ACAC, but that the charcoal was not bactericidal.

VSV binding to lipids from different cell lines. Brief report

Gangliosides from different cells were tested for their inhibiting activity on VSV attachment to CER cells and goose erythrocytes. This inhibiting activity was enhanced when gangliosides were inserted into liposomes, in particular if containing phosphatidylserine.

In vitro adhesion of K88ab-, K88ac- and K88ad-positive Escherichia coli to intestinal villi, to buccal cells and to erythrocytes of weaned piglets

The phenotype of 21 weaned piglets, concerning adhesion of Escherichia coli possessing K88ab, K88ac or K88ad fimbriae to pig cells, was determined in an in vitro assay. Comparison was made with adhesion of these three K88 variant strains to buccal mucosal epithelial cells and to erythrocytes (haemagglutination) in the same piglets. Whereas adhesion of the three K88 variant strains to intestinal villi was piglet specific, buccal cell adhesion (BCA) and haemagglutination (HA) were not. The K88ab strain was weakly adhesive or non-adhesive in the BCA and negative in the HA test. K88ac strains consistently gave negative and K88ad consistently gave positive results in both assays. After washing the bacteria with phosphate-buffered saline, the K88ab strain revealed a positive HA test. Neither the BCA, nor HA test can be used to determine the pig intestinal adhesive phenotype.

Differential interaction of reovirus type 3 with sialylated receptor components on animal cells

In this report we study the interaction of reovirus type 3 Dearing (RV3) with vertebrate erythrocytes whose membrane glycoconjugates differ in the degree and position of O-acetylation of their sialic acid (NeuAc) residues. Binding to erythrocytes required the presence of NeuAc on cellular glycoconjugates, since pretreatment with sialidase (neuraminidase) abolished hemagglutination by RV3. Furthermore, we found that RV3 binds efficiently to and hemagglutinates all erythrocyte preparations possessing exclusively NeuAc, or a mixture of NeuAc and 4-O-acetyl-NeuAc (4-O-Ac-NeuAc), but poorly to erythrocytes bearing a mixture of 9-O-Ac-NeuAc and NeuAc, suggesting that RV3 binds preferentially to NeuAc-containing glycoconjugates. To gain further evidence for this hypothesis we treated chicken erythrocytes with influenza C virus neuraminate, 9-O-acetylesterase, to convert their 9-O-Ac-NeuAc residues to NeuAc. When hemagglutination assays were carried out on these cells, we observed a 16-fold increase in the hemagglutination titer for RV3 compared to untreated cells. When we treated bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) with influenza C virus, we observed a dramatic increase in its potency as an inhibitor of RV3 hemagglutination. Concomitant with this, the 9-O-Ac-NeuAc residues on BSM were converted to NeuAc. Taken together and in conjunction with a previous report (A. F. Pacitti and J. R. Gentsch, 1987, J. Virol. 61 1407-1415), these results suggest that the virion attachment protein exhibits a strong preference for NeuAc over 9-O-Ac-NeuAc as a receptor component on erythrocytes.

Interaction of Mycoplasma mobile 163K with erythrocytes

Mycoplasma (M.) mobile 163K isolated from fish was investigated for its hemadsorbing, hemagglutinating, and hemolysing capacities and for its ability to adhere to erythrocytes. Hemadsorption to the colonies of M. mobile occurred with ovine, bovine, equine, trout, and carp erythrocytes and was inhibited by treatment of the mycoplasmas with substances acting on proteins (pronase, trypsin, glutaraldehyde), heat, UV-irradiation and homologous antiserum. Hemadsorption could be prevented also by treatment of the erythrocytes with neuraminidase. In liquid medium ovine erythrocytes were agglutinated and afterwards lysed by M. mobile. The erythrocytes which were adsorbed to the colonies of M. mobile were finally lysed also. Darkfield preparations showed the ability of M. mobile to adhere to erythrocytes and also its hemagglutinating properties.

The erythrocyte and epithelial cell receptors for Haemophilus influenzae are expressed independently

The Anton blood group antigen has been shown to be the erythrocyte receptor for Haemophilus influenzae. Cord erythrocytes, which lack the Anton antigen, were not agglutinated by H. influenzae (L. van Alphen, J. Poole, and M. Overbecke, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 37:69-71, 1986). Twenty-eight erythrocyte suspensions from newborns less than 4 days old were also not agglutinated, but 23 of 56 erythrocyte suspensions from 4- to 50-day-old newborns and 23 of 35 erythrocyte suspensions from older infants were agglutinated. Positive hemagglutination correlated with the presence of the Anton antigen on the erythrocytes for 163 of 173 (P less than 0.0001). Adherence of H. influenzae to buccal epithelial cells obtained from six newborns within 3 days after birth was as strong as that found with adult epithelial cells, whereas the erythrocytes from five of six of these newborns were not agglutinated by the bacteria. Adherence of H. influenzae to epithelial cells of 15 donors was not inhibited by anti-Anton serum. Moreover, H. influenzae carrying fimbriae adhered to epithelial cells of an Anton-negative donor. From these results we conclude that the age at which the erythrocyte receptor for H. influenzae is expressed is the same as for the Anton antigen, but that the receptor on the epithelial cells is already expressed at birth and is not identical to the Anton antigen.

Characterization of membrane components of the erythrocyte involved in vesicular stomatitis virus attachment and fusion at acidic pH

Goose erythrocyte membranes were isolated and tested for their ability to compete with red cell receptors for vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) attachment and fusion at acidic pH. Crude membranes, solubilized with Triton X-100, Tween 80 and octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on virus binding and haemolysis. The chemical nature of the active molecules was investigated by enzyme digestion and by separation of purified components. Only the lipid moiety, specifically phospholipid and glycolipid, was found to inhibit VSV attachment; a more detailed analysis of these molecules showed that phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and GM3 ganglioside were responsible for the inhibitory activity and could therefore represent VSV binding sites on goose erythrocyte membranes. Removal of negatively charged groups from these molecules by enzymic treatment significantly reduced their activity, suggesting that electrostatic interactions play an important role in the binding of VSV to the cell surface. Enzymic digestion of whole erythrocytes confirmed the involvement of membrane lipid molecules in the cell surface receptor for VSV.

Productive infection by B19 parvovirus of human erythroid bone marrow cells in vitro

B19 parvovirus, the cause of fifth disease and transient aplastic crisis, has been successfully propagated in suspension cultures of human erythroid bone marrow cells obtained from patients with sickle cell disease and stimulated by erythropoietin. B19 inoculation in vitro resulted in a marked decline in identifiable erythroid cells over seven to nine days of incubation. Characteristic giant early erythroid cells were seen on Wright's-Giemsa stain of infected cultures. By in situ hybridization, 30% to 40% of erythroblasts were infected at 48 hours; a similar proportion of cells showed B19 capsid protein by immunofluorescence. B19 DNA was present in erythroblasts but not in the leukocyte fraction of bone marrow. B19 replication, as determined by Southern analysis, and B19 encapsidation, as determined by sensitivity of isolated cell fractions to DNase I, were restricted to the nuclei. B19 DNA was detectable in the nuclei from infected cultures beginning at 18 hours and in the supernatant at 32 hours; B19 genome copy number was estimated at about 25,000 to 30,000/infected cell at 48 hours. Recovery of virus depended on the multiplicity of infection (moi); at low moi, approximately 200x input virus was recovered from total cultures and 50x from the culture supernatants. Virus released into the supernatant was as infectious or more infectious than virus obtained from sera of infected patients. Human erythroid bone marrow culture represents a safe in vitro system for the elucidation of the cellular and molecular biology of the pathogenic B19 parvovirus.

Haemagglutination and tissue culture adhesion of Gardnerella vaginalis

Six strains of Gardnerella vaginalis were studied to examine the adhesin-receptor mechanism involved in their attachment to human red blood cells and an epithelial tissue culture cell line (McCoy). The adhesins involved in the attachment of the bacteria to each of these cells were proteinaceous but showed marked differences after various chemical or physical treatments, indicating that separate adhesins were present. Haemagglutinating strains were more hydrophobic than tissue-culture-adherent strains. Haemagglutination of human red blood cells by strains of G. vaginalis was inhibited by galactose, lactose, N-acetylneuraminic acid and phosphatidylserine. In contrast, the tissue-culture adherence of strains was not inhibited by these substances.

Characterization of capsid and noncapsid proteins of B19 parvovirus propagated in human erythroid bone marrow cell cultures

The major capsid and noncapsid proteins of the pathogenic parvovirus B19, propagated in vitro, were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot of the erythroid fraction of infected human bone marrow cell cultures. There were two capsid proteins of 58 kilodaltons (kDa; the major species) and 84 kDa (the minor species). Newly synthesized capsid viral proteins were present in the supernatants of infected cultures. The major noncapsid protein of 77 kDa was localized to the nucleus.

Glycophorin is the reovirus receptor on human erythrocytes

Purified glycophorin (predominantly type A) from human erythrocytes was found to effectively inhibit reovirus hemagglutination (HA) in contrast to other glycoproteins such as fetuin or ovalbumin. Glycophorin was also a potent inhibitor of reovirus and protein sigma 1 binding to mouse L fibroblasts. Glycophorin pretreated with neuraminidase lost these inhibitory properties. Using a solid phase binding assay, it was demonstrated that reovirus as well as protein sigma 1 could specifically bind to glycophorin immobilized on polystyrene plates. This binding was inhibited by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) but not by other lectins such as peanut agglutinin (PA), Maclura pomifera agglutinin (MPA), Bauhinia purpurea agglutinin (BPA), or concanavalin A (Con A). Binding of reovirus to glycophorin was also partially inhibited by a monoclonal antibody (10F7) (W. L. Bigbee, R. G. Langlois, M. Vanderlaan, and R. H. Jensen, 1984, J. Immunol. 133, 3149-3155), which recognizes a determinant common to the M and N forms of glycophorin, but not by N-specific monoclonal antibodies NN4 and NN5 or an M-specific monoclonal antibody, 6A7. Taken together, these results clearly indicate that the M, N blood group antigen, glycophorin, is the erythrocyte receptor for reovirus.

The effects of Eperythrozoon ovis in sheep

Infection of adult sheep with a single strain of Eperythrozoon ovis led to three different situations. First, the animal resisted the organism and no haematological changes occurred. Second, the host developed a controllable parasitaemia in which erythrocyte values fell shortly after peak parasitaemia and then returned to normal. Third, the host failed to control the parasitaemia and chronic low grade anaemia developed. Dexamethasone sometimes caused a resurgence of parasitaemia in sheep.

Changing morphology of Eperythrozoon ovis

Light microscopy studies of Eperythrozoon ovis in sheep revealed that Giemsa stain was only less reliable than acridine orange as a means of parasite identification when low parasitaemias were present. The morphology of E ovis altered as the degree of parasitaemia increased.

In vivo and in vitro effects of moderately virulent African swine fever virus on mitogenesis of pig lymphocytes

Six pigs were infected oro-nasally with a moderately virulent African swine fever (ASF) virus from the Dominican Republic (DR II). The effect of virus infection on the pig's immune system was tested by measuring peripheral leucocyte numbers and the ability of mononuclear leucocytes (MNL) to respond by lymphocyte proliferation (LP) to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P), concanavalin-A (Con-A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). All 6 pigs developed high viremias between 4 and 18 days post-inoculation (DPI) which became undetectable by 32 to 46 DPI. Virus was found in erythrocytes, plasma, and mononuclear leucocytes from peripheral blood. Overall, virus infection had only minor effects on the number of circulating leucocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes. At the early acute phase of infection slight neutrophilia and lymphocytopenia were observed with mildly elevated monocyte numbers and slightly depressed neutrophil numbers that continued from the time of evident reduction in viremia to beyond the period of viral clearance. The infected pigs readily produced high titers of ASF virus antibody shortly after the onset of viremia. No significant differences in LP responses of MNL from the 6 pigs to PHA-P, Con-A and PWM were observed after infection when compared to those obtained with MNL from normal pigs. The in vitro addition of infectious ASF virus to MNL from normal pigs did not affect LP responses to any of the three mitogens. These results do not support the hypothesis that immunosuppression is a consequence of ASFV infection of pigs.

[Adhesion of Corynebacterium diphtheriae]

The conditions for the direct hemagglutination test performed to determine the degree of adhesion of C. diphtheriae were defined. For this test sheep red blood cells, trypsin-treated ex tempore, were used. Only newly isolated cultures, subcultured for not more than 2-5 times and stored for not more than 2-7 days or freeze-dried, were employed. The culture to be tested was grown in nutrient agar with 10% of normal horse serum. The test was made in microtitrator round-bottom wells. The mixture of different dilutions of the culture was incubated for 2 hours at 37 degrees C, then left overnight at 4 degrees C. All 147 newly isolated or freeze-dried C. diphtheriae strains under test had different degrees of adhesion. Their adhesive activity was unrelated to their biovar. Toxigenic strains were significantly more active in hemagglutination (53.5 +/- 3.0%) than nontoxigenic ones (23.5 +/- 3.9%). The strains isolated from the nose, irrespective of their biological properties, were more active than those isolated from the pharynx.

Phagocytosis of horse erythrocytes treated with equine infectious anemia virus by cultivated horse leukocytes

Horse erythrocytes treated with equine infectious anemia virus hemagglutinin were phagocytized by cultivated horse leukocytes (mainly macrophage-like cells and partly polymorphonuclear cells) after incubation with fresh horse serum but not with inactivated horse serum. The phagocytosis began as soon as the erythrocytes were added to the leukocyte cultures, and the majority of the reaction proceeded within 30 minutes. Addition of antiserum showed a slightly suppressing but no enhancing effect on the phagocytosis. Phagocytosis seemed to be caused by the recognition of the third complement component on the affected RBC with the receptors on phagocytes, but not by the recognition of immunoglobulin. Since cultivated leukocytes were able to phagocytize erythrocytes which were treated with a quantity as small as 1/16 units of hemagglutinin, and since the hemagglutinin-antibody complex also could bind to erythrocytes and induced them to become phagocytized, the reaction appears to play an important role in the mechanisms of anemia and formation of sideroleukocytes in horses infected with the equine infectious anemia virus.

Fusion of erythrocytes by Newcastle disease virus

Newcastle disease virus-induced fusion of chick embryo (CE) and chicken erythrocytes has been studied at the ph range between 5.5 and 8.0. The highest degree of fusion of CE erythrocytes was observed at pH 5.5, whereas the chicken erythrocytes fused at pH 5.5-6.0 only. Freezing and thawing of low-haemolytic virus preparation increased its erythrocyte fusion activity. Ammonium chloride did not cause a statistically significant effect on the multiplication of virus preparations expressing different haemolysis and erythrocyte fusion activity.