Structure of a hexasaccharide proximal to the hydrophobic region of lipopolysaccharides present in Bordetella pertussis endotoxin preparations

Development of carbohydrate based next-generation anti-pertussis vaccines

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterial pathogen, Bordetella pertussis. Despite high global vaccination rates, pertussis is resurging worldwide. Here we discuss the development of current pertussis vaccines and their limitations, which highlight the need for new vaccines that can protect against the disease and prevent development of the carrier state, thereby reducing transmission. The lipo-oligosaccharide of Bp is an attractive antigen for vaccine development as the anti-glycan antibodies could have bactericidal activities. The structure of the lipo-oligosaccharide has been determined and its immunological properties analyzed. Strategies enabling the expression, isolation, and bioconjugation have been presented. However, obtaining the saccharide on a large scale with high purity remains one of the main obstacles. Chemical synthesis provides a complementary approach to accessing the carbohydrate epitopes in a pure and structurally well-defined form. The first total synthesis of the non-reducing end pertussis pentasaccharide is discussed. The conjugate of the synthetic glycan with a powerful immunogenic carrier, bacteriophage Qβ, results in high levels and long-lasting anti-glycan IgG antibodies, paving the way for the development of a new generation of anti-pertussis vaccines with high bactericidal activities and biocompatibilities.

Use of mass spectrometry to compare three O-chain-linked and free lipopolysaccharide cores: differences found in Bordetella parapertussis

Plasma desorption mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry methods were used to investigate the molecular differences between lipopolysaccharide free core molecules and core molecules substituted by O-chains in Bordetella parapertussis, Salmonella ohio, and Escherichia coli 0119. The B. parapertussis analysis indicated a difference in mass of 569 amu corresponding to 3 distal sugars comprising terminal residues of heptose, galactosaminuronic acid, and, N-acetyl-N-methylfucosamine, a result supported by evidence from NMR and serology. No differences were evident in the analyses of cores in either S. ohio or E. coli O119, although the first O-chain unit carried by S. ohio core lacked a terminal glucose present in the residual O-chain repeating units.

Detection of lipopolysaccharides blotted on nylon membranes

A sensitive method for the detection of Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) blotted on nylon membranes is described. LPSs are separated by SDS-PAGE and then electrophoretically transferred to nylon membranes. Immobilized LPS is oxidized with periodate and then reacted with a hydrazide conjugated to the steroid, digoxigenin. LPS is visualized by alkaline phosphatase labelled antibodies against the steroid and the enzyme substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate/nitro blue tetrazolium. LPS banding patterns of both rough (R-) and smooth (S-) type LPSs from over 15 different bacterial species are similar to those of silver stained companion gels, but without nonspecific staining of proteins. The detection of S-LPS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa F-D type 1 and R-LPS from Escherichia coli K12 is sensitive to 10-20 ng per lane. The use of this detection system in combination with antibody or lectin studies on identical blots can provide an effective tool in locating the precise position of certain epitopes or sequences in both R- and S-type LPSs on the blots.

NMR-based structural analysis of the complete rough-type lipopolysaccharide isolated from Capnocytophaga canimorsus

We here describe the NMR analysis of an intact lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) in water with 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as detergent. When HPLC-purified rough-type LPS of Capnocytophaga canimorsus was prepared, (13)C,(15)N labeling could be avoided. The intact LPS was analyzed by homonuclear ((1)H) and heteronuclear ((1)H,(13)C, and (1)H,(31)P) correlated one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques as well as by mass spectrometry. It consists of a penta-acylated lipid A with an α-linked phosphoethanolamine attached to C-1 of GlcN (I) in the hybrid backbone, lacking the 4'-phosphate. The hydrophilic core oligosaccharide was found to be a complex hexasaccharide with two mannose (Man) and one each of 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo), Gal, GalN, and l-rhamnose residues. Position 4 of Kdo is substituted by phosphoethanolamine, also present in position 6 of the branched Man(I) residue. This rough-type LPS is exceptional in that all three negative phosphate residues are "masked" by positively charged ethanolamine substituents, leading to an overall zero net charge, which has so far not been observed for any other LPS. In biological assays, the corresponding isolated lipid A was found to be endotoxically almost inactive. By contrast, the intact rough-type LPS described here expressed a 20,000-fold increased endotoxicity, indicating that the core oligosaccharide significantly contributes to the endotoxic potency of the whole rough-type C. canimorsus LPS molecule. Based on these findings, the strict view that lipid A alone represents the toxic center of LPS needs to be reassessed.

The sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) as a characteristic component of bacterial endotoxin — a review of its biosynthesis, function, and placement in the lipopolysaccharide core

The sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) is a characteristic component of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin). It connects the carbohydrate part of LPS with C6 of glucosamine or 2,3-diaminoglucose of lipid A by acid-labile α-ketosidic linkage. The number of Kdo units present in LPS, the way they are connected, and the occurrence of other substituents (P, PEtn, PPEtn, Gal, or β-l-Ara4N) account for structural diversity of the inner core region of endotoxin. In a majority of cases, Kdo is crucial to the viability and growth of bacterial cells. In this paper, the biosynthesis of Kdo and the mechanism of its incorporation into the LPS structure, as well as the location of this unique component in the endotoxin core structures, have been described.

Structural characterization of Bordetella parapertussis lipid A

Bordetella parapertussis like B. pertussis, is a causal agent of whooping cough but is not a strictly human pathogen. Because its endotoxin, a major structural component of the Gram-negative outer membrane, is an important virulence factor, we have analyzed the structure of its toxic lipid domain, in one rough and two smooth bacterial strains. Chemical analyses and mass spectra obtained before and after recently developed mild-alkali treatments revealed that the lipids A have the common bisphosphorylated beta-(1-->6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxytetradecanoic acid in amide linkages. All three strains have two major molecular species: a tetraacyl and a pentaacyl species. The rough strain is richer in a minor hexaacyl species. Acylation at the C-2, C-3, and C-3' positions was different from that of the B. pertussis lipid A. The C-2 position carries a secondary hexadecanoic acid, the C-3 position is free, and the C-3' position is substituted with hydroxydecanoic acid (not at C-3 as in B. pertussis), and the rough strain hexaacyl species carries a second secondary hexadecanoic acid. Like the lipid A of B. pertussis, the hydroxytetradecanoic acid at the C-2' position was substituted by tetradecanoic acid.

Glucosamine found as a substituent of both phosphate groups in Bordetella lipid A backbones: role of a BvgAS-activated ArnT ortholog

Endotoxins are amphipathic lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), major constituents of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria. They consist of a lipid region, covalently linked to a core oligosaccharide, to which may be linked a repetitive glycosidic chain carrying antigenic determinants. Most of the biological activities of endotoxins have been associated with the lipid moiety of the molecule: unique to gram-negative bacteria, LPS is a ligand of the mammalian TLR4-MD2-CD14 pathogen recognition receptor complex. Lipid A preparations are often heterogeneous with respect to both the numbers and the lengths of fatty acids and the natures of substituents on the phosphate groups when present. The variants can significantly affect host immune responses. Nine species in the Bordetella genus have been described, and the fine LPS structures of seven of them have been published. In this report, lipids A from Bordetella pertussis Tohama I and B. bronchiseptica strain 4650 were further characterized and revealed to have a glucosamine substituting both lipid A phosphate groups of the diglucosamine backbone. These substitutions have not been previously described for bordetellae. Moreover, a B. pertussis transposon mutation that maps within a gene encoding a Bordetella ArnT (formerly PmrK) glycosyl transferase ortholog does not carry this substitution, thus providing a genetic basis for the modification. Reverse transcriptase PCR of this locus showed that it is Bvg regulated, suggesting that the ability of Bordetella to modify lipid A via this glucosamine modification is a potential virulence trait.

Relaxed acyl chain specificity of Bordetella UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferases

Lipid A (endotoxin) is a major structural component of Gram-negative outer membranes. It also serves as the hydrophobic anchor of lipopolysaccharide and is a potent activator of the innate immune response. Lipid A molecules from the genus Bordetella are reported to exhibit unusual structural asymmetry with respect to the acyl chains at the 3- and 3'-positions. These acyl chains are attached by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine acyltransferase (LpxA). To determine the origin of the acyl variability, the single lpxA ortholog present in each of the genomes of Bordetella bronchiseptica (lpxA(Br)), Bordetella parapertussis (lpxA(Pa)), and Bordetella pertussis (lpxA(Pe)) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. In contrast to all LpxA proteins studied to date, LpxA(Br) and LpxA(Pe) display relaxed acyl chain length specificity in vitro, utilizing C(10)OH-ACP, C(12)OH-ACP, and C(14)OH-ACP at similar rates. Furthermore, hybrid lipid A molecules synthesized at 42 degrees C by an E. coli lpxA mutant complemented with lpxA(Pe) contain C(10)OH, C(12)OH, and C(14)OH at both the 3- and 3'-positions, as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In contrast, LpxA from B. parapertussis did not display relaxed specificity but was selective for C(10)OH-ACP. This study provides an enzymatic explanation for some of the unusual acyl chain variations found in Bordetella lipid A.

Chemical and serological characterization of the Bordetella hinzii lipopolysaccharides

Bordetella hinzii has recently been isolated from immunocompromised human hosts. The polysaccharides isolated from its endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) were investigated using chemical analyses, NMR, gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and mass spectrometry by plasma desorption, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization and electrospray. The following structure for the O-chain-free LPS was deduced from the experimental results: carbohydrate structure [see text] Mass spectrometry and serology revealed that the O-chains were different from the homopolymer common to Bordetella bronchiseptica and Bordetella parapertussis strains and were composed of a trisaccharide repeating unit. Masses up to 8 kDa were obtained for native LPS molecular species.

Structure of the Bordetella pertussis 1414 endotoxin

The endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) of Bordetella pertussis, the agent of whooping cough, consists of a lipid A linked to a highly branched dodecasaccharide containing several acid and amino sugars. The elucidation of the polysaccharide structure was accomplished by first analyzing the structures of fragments obtained by hydrolysis and nitrous deamination and then piecing the fragments together. The fine structure of the antigenic distal pentasaccharide, presented here, was determined by chemical analyses as well as by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. The complete structure was reconstituted and confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. The following structure was derived from the combined experimental data:The detailed structure combined with previously reported serological data now allows the synthesis of its epitopes for potential vaccines.

The structure of the carbohydrate backbone of the lipopolysaccharides from Bordetella hinzii and Bordetella bronchiseptica

The structure of the core-lipid A region of the lipopolysaccharides from Bordetella hinzii and Bordetella bronchiseptica has been analyzed. Lipopolysaccharides were deacylated using strong alkaline hydrolysis, the products were separated by high performance anion-exchange chromatography and analyzed by NMR and mass spectrometry. The following structure of the products can be deduced from the experimental results: where for the product from Bordetella hinzii N = H, R = H, beta-FucN4N- or partially N-acetylated Sug-(1-3)-beta-FucN4N and for the product from Bordetella bronchiseptica N = alpha-Hep, R = H, beta-FucN4N, beta-FucN4NMe or partially N-acetylated Sug-(1-3)-beta-FucN4N or Sug-(1-3)-beta-FucN4NMe; Sug = 2,3-diamino-2,3, 4-trideoxy-hex-4-enuronopyranosyl.

Structure of the lipid A of Bordetella hinzii ATCC 51730

Bordetella hinzii has recently been isolated from immunocompromised human hosts. The structure of the lipid A of its endotoxin was investigated using chemical analyses, nuclear magnetic resonnance (NMR), gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. The lipid A contains the classical bisphosphorylated beta-(1-->6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxytetradecanoic acid (C14OH) in amide linkages. The lipid A components of B. pertussis, B. bronchiseptica, and B. parapertussis all differ in their acylation pattern but share a residue of tetradecanoyl-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in amide linkage at the C-2' position. However, in the B. hinzii species, the tetradecanoic acid (C14) is stoichiometrically replaced by a 2-hydroxytetradecanoic acid (2-C14OH). In the few reported examples of a hydroxylated fatty acid in this position, the substitutions were only partial. The B. hinzii lipid A differs from that of B. pertussis also by replacement of the hydroxydecanoic acid (C10OH) by hydroxydodecanoic acid (C12OH) and by the presence of a hexadecanoic acid (C16) to give a sixth fatty acid. The lipid A was heterogeneous, being composed of three major molecular species: tetra-, penta- and hexaacylated. The fatty acids in ester linkage were localized by PDMS of the native and alkali-treated lipid A. The lipid A components isolated from the O-chain-linked lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) were shown to be more acylated than those from the O-chain-free LPSs.

Genetic basis for lipopolysaccharide O-antigen biosynthesis in bordetellae

Bordetella bronchiseptica and Bordetella parapertussis express a surface polysaccharide, attached to a lipopolysaccharide, which has been called O antigen. This structure is absent from Bordetella pertussis. We report the identification of a large genetic locus in B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis that is required for O-antigen biosynthesis. The locus is replaced by an insertion sequence in B. pertussis, explaining the lack of O-antigen biosynthesis in this species. The DNA sequence of the B. bronchiseptica locus has been determined and the presence of 21 open reading frames has been revealed. We have ascribed putative functions to many of these open reading frames based on database searches. Mutations in the locus in B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis prevent O-antigen biosynthesis and provide tools for the study of the role of O antigen in infections caused by these bacteria.

Characterization of human bactericidal antibodies to Bordetella pertussis

The Bordetella pertussis BrkA protein protects against the bactericidal activity of complement and antibody; however, some individuals mount an immune response that overcomes this bacterial defense. To further characterize this process, the bactericidal activities of sera from 13 adults with different modes of exposure to B. pertussis (infected as adults, occupational exposure, immunized with an acellular vaccine, or no identified exposure) against a wild-type strain and a BrkA complement-sensitive mutant were evaluated. All of the sera killed the BrkA mutant, suggesting past exposure to B. pertussis or cross-reactive organisms. Several samples had no or minimal activity against the wild type. All of the sera collected from the infected and occupationally exposed individuals but not all of the sera from vaccinated individuals had bactericidal activity against the wild-type strain, suggesting that some types of exposure can induce an immune response that can overcome the BrkA resistance mechanism. Adsorbing serum with the wild-type strain removed the bactericidal antibodies; however, adsorbing the serum with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant or an avirulent (bvg mutant) strain did not always result in loss of bactericidal activity, suggesting that antibodies to either LPS or bvg-regulated proteins could be bactericidal. All the samples, including those that lacked bactericidal activity, contained antibodies that recognized the LPS of B. pertussis. Bactericidal activity correlated best with the presence of the immunoglobulin G3 (IgG3) antibodies to LPS, the IgG subtype that is most effective at fixing complement.

Molecular and functional analysis of the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis locus wlb from Bordetella pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis and Bordetella bronchiseptica

The Bordetella pertussis wlb locus (wlbpe, formerly bpl) is required for the biosynthesis of a trisaccharide that, when attached to the B. pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core (band B), generates band A LPS. The equivalent loci in Bordetella bronchiseptica (wlbbr) and Bordetella parapertussis (wlbpa) were identified and cloned. The wlbbr and wlbpa loci differ from wlbpe in that they lack the insertion sequence that defines the right-hand terminus of wlbpe. Deletion of 12 kb of DNA containing the whole wlb locus (delta wlb) by allelic exchange in each of the three bordetellae had no effect on band B biosynthesis, whereas band A biosynthesis was prevented in B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica. In B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis, delta wlb mutants also lacked O-antigen. Reintroduction of the wlbpe or wlbbr loci on a shuttle vector into the three delta wlb mutants restored the wild-type LPS phenotype in the B. pertussis and B. bronchiseptica mutants. In the case of B. parapertussis, which normally does not synthesize an apparent band A structure, introduction of the wlbpe or wlbbr loci now enabled the generation of band A. This suggests that the attachment point for band A trisaccharide on the LPS core is present in B. parapertussis, and further suggests that the wild-type wlbpa locus is not fully functional. Introduction of the wlbpa locus into the delta wlbpe, delta wlbbr and delta wlbpa mutants had interesting consequences. The B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis recipients were now able to biosynthesize O-antigen, but no band A was generated. In the B. pertussis recipient, a truncated band A was expressed consistent with a mutation in the wlbH gene, but on Western blotting the expression of a small amount of full-length band A was also seen. Evidence that the wlbHpa protein is not fully functional was provided by the failure of the wlbpa locus to fully complement a B. pertussis wlbH (delta wlbHpe) mutant. This was supported by DNA sequence data showing that a single amino acid, conserved between homologous proteins from a range of bacteria, is altered in the B. parapertussis WlbH protein.

Identification and cloning of waaF (rfaF) from Bordetella pertussis and use to generate mutants of Bordetella spp. with deep rough lipopolysaccharide

A DNA locus from Bordetella pertussis capable of reconstituting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium SL3789 (rfaF511) has been isolated, by using selection with the antibiotic novobiocin. DNA within the locus encodes a protein with amino acid sequence similarity to heptosyltransferase II, encoded by waaF (previously rfaF) in other gram-negative bacteria. Mutation of this gene in B. pertussis, Bordetella parapertussis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica by allelic exchange generated bacteria with deep rough LPS phenotypes consistent with the proposed function of the gene as an inner core heptosyltransferase. These are the first LPS mutants generated in B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica and the first deep rough mutants of any of the bordetellae.

Structurally defined epitopes of Haemophilus ducreyi lipooligosaccharides recognized by monoclonal antibodies

By use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting techniques, the migration patterns and binding epitopes of lipooligosaccharides (LOS) from 10 Haemophilus ducreyi strains were investigated with two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), MAHD6 and MAHD7, raised against LOS from H. ducreyi ITM 2665. Closely related LOS, with defined structures, from Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis, Aeromonas spp., and synthetic glycoproteins were also included in the analyses. The MAbs bound to conserved epitopes of LOS exposed on the surface of H. ducreyi. The MAb MAHD6 reacted with 8 of the 10 LOS from H. ducreyi but with none of the other Haemophilus or Bordetella spp. with structurally defined LOS. It is suggested that MAb MAHD6 binds to a LOS epitope (-DD-Hepp-1-->6-beta-D-Glcp-). This LOS epitope is not present in the hexasaccharide structure of LOS from H. ducreyi ITM 4747 (E. K. H. Schweda, A. C. Sundström, L. M. Eriksson, J. A. Jonasson, and A. A. Lindberg, J. Biol. Chem. 269:12040-12048, 1994). Because MAb MAHD6 reacts with the epitope mentioned above, it also discriminates between the two LOS structures, the hexasaccharide group and the nonasaccharide group, of H. ducreyi strains. MAb MAHD7 recognizes the common conserved inner core region of the LOS because it reacts with all H. ducreyi strains and with LOS with minor components in the inner core epitope structure. Rabbit polyclonal sera raised against the LOS from strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were tested with the 10 LOS from the H. ducreyi strains. The antiserum to CCUG 7470 reacted with all H. ducreyi strains as did MAb MAHD7, whereas the antiserum to CCUG 4438 reacted with only its homologous strain and strain ITM 4747. Also, the LOSs of our reference strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were structurally analyzed by use of sugar analyses and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The hexasaccharide and nonasaccharide structures obtained from LOS of strains CCUG 4438 and CCUG 7470 were identical to the described LOS structures from H. ducreyi ITM 4747 and ITM 2665, respectively. In conclusion, the MAb MAHD6 recognizes an epitope present in the nonasaccharide LOS group, whereas the MAb MAHD7 recognizes a conserved epitope on LOS of H. ducreyi, which is present in all strains of H. ducreyi tested. Two major groups of oligosaccharides were distinguished by their LOS structures and the reactivity of monoclonal as well as polyclonal antibodies. The majority of H. ducreyi strains possess a nonasaccharide structure of LOS.

Tn5-induced lipopolysaccharide mutations in Bordetella pertussis that affect outer membrane function

An LPSB-specific mAb was used to screen for ten Tn5 insertion mutants of Bordetella pertussis which have LPS which is phenotypically distinct from either wild-type LPSAB or LPSB. Silver-strained SDS-PAGE gels showed nine different LPS phenotypes, six of which contain two clinically undocumented LPS bands, designated IntA and IntB based on their proximity to the LPSA and LPSB bands, respectively. Binding assays with LPSA- and LPSB-specific mAbs established changes in epitope exposure for the various mutant LPS, both in cell-free form and as presented on the surface of whole cells. The possible involvement of a number of genes, both structural and regulatory, was indicated in production of the altered phenotypes. PFGE and Southern blotting showed that the Tn5 inserts of seven mutants mapped to a region of the B. pertussis chromosome shown previously to encode the bpl gene products of LPS biosynthesis. Mutants MLT3, MLT5 and MLT8, however, mapped to distinctly different parts of the chromosome. In addition, mutants MLT2 and MLT3 contributed to an accelerated frequency in the appearance of avirulent phase organisms despite their Tn5 inserts being over 1000 bp from the bvglASR locus. The alterations in LPS structure in the mutants changed their reactivity to strain-specific mAbs and their sensitivity to hydrophobic and hydrophilic antibiotics.

Structural characterization of the lipids A of three Bordetella bronchiseptica strains: variability of fatty acid substitution

The structures of lipids A isolated from the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs; endotoxins) of three different pathogenic Bordetella bronchiseptica strains were investigated by chemical composition and methylation analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PDMS). The analyses revealed that the LPSs contain the classical lipid A bisphosphorylated beta-(1-->6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxytetradecanoic acid in amide linkages. Their structures differ from that of the lipid A of Bordetella pertussis endotoxin by the replacement of hydroxydecanoic acid on the C-3 position with hydroxydodecanoic acid or dodecanoic acid and the presence of variable amounts of hexadecanoic acid. The dodecanoic acid is the first nonhydroxylated fatty acid to be found directly linked to a lipid A glucosamine. The lipids A were heterogeneous and composed of one to three major and several minor molecular species. The fatty acids in ester linkage were localized by PDMS of chemically modified lipids A. B. pertussis lipids A are usually hypoacylated with respect to those of enterobacterial lipids A. However, one of the three B. bronchiseptica strains had a major hexaacylated molecular species. C-4 and C-6' hydroxyl groups of the backbone disaccharide were unsubstituted, the latter being the proposed attachment site of the polysaccharide. The structural variability seen in these three lipids A was unusual for a single species and may have consequences for the pathogenicity of this Bordetella species.

Epitopes of Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharides as potential markers for typing of isolates with monoclonal antibodies

Three hybridomas (P1P3, D7 and 60.5) producing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Bordetella pertussis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were established. All reacted with the LPS from a typical, vaccine strain of B. pertussis (1414), but not with that of a variant strain (A100). Two of these mAbs (P1P3 and 60.5) cross-reacted with a B. bronchiseptica LPS; only one (P1P3) reacted with a B. parapertussis LPS. ELISA reactivities with intact LPSs, and defined partial structures covalently linked to bovine serum albumin, were compared. mAb 60.5 bound to the terminal region of a distal trisaccharide consisting of N-acetylated amino sugars. D7 reacted with a substructure which can be modified in the B. parapertussis and B. bronchiseptica LPSs by addition of a polymeric O-chain. P1P3 bound to a nonacetylated glucosamine substituted with L-glycero-D-manno-heptose, present in the 'core' of the B. pertussis LPS. These mAbs may be useful for rapid typing of Bordetella in clinical isolates.

The lipooligosaccharides of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria

Lipooligosaccharides (LOSs) are the major glycolipids expressed on mucosal Gram-negative bacteria, including members of the genera Neisseria, Haemophilus, Bordetella, and Branhamella. They can also be expressed on some enteric bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains. LOS is analogous to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) found in other Gram-negative families. LOSs share similar lipid A structures with an identical array of functional activities as LPSs. LOSs lack O-antigen units with the LOS oligosaccharide structures limited to 10 saccharide units. The LOS species of pathogenic Neisseria can play a major role in pathogenesis through enhancing the resistance of the organism to killing by normal human serum. Other distinguishing characteristics of LOS are the structural and antigenic similarity of some LOS species to human glycolipids and the potential for certain LOSs to be modified in vivo by host substances or secretions. These modifications of LOS in different environments of the host result in synthesis of new LOS structures that probably benefit the survival of the pathogen. The LOS of N. gonorrhoeae can act as a ligand of human receptors, promoting invasion of host cells. It is becoming clearer that LOSs are crucial factors in the pathogenesis of bacteria that express them.

The tetrasaccharide L-alpha-D-heptose1-->2-L-alpha-D-heptose1--> 3-L-alpha-D-heptose1-->(3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid) and phosphate in lipid A define the conserved epitope in Haemophilus lipopolysaccharides recognized by a monoclonal antibody

A murine monoclonal antibody, MAHI 3 (immunoglobulin G2b), that is broadly reactive with Haemophilus influenzae lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) but nonreactive with all enterobacterial LPSs tested was generated by fusing mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with azide-killed H. influenzae RM.7004. MAHI 3 bound to all H. influenzae, all other human Haemophilus spp., all Bordetella pertussis and Bordetella parapertussis, and all Aeromonas spp. tested but not to any Neisseria or Moraxella catarrhalis strains, as determined by enzyme immunoassay, colony dot immunoblotting, and immunoblotting. In an inhibition enzyme immunoassay, MAHI 3 reacted with all 45 H. influenzae LPSs tested but not with the LPS from the rough mutant I69 Rd-/b+, which has only 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid (P) [Kdo(P)] and lipid A. The antibody was not inhibited by H. influenzae lipid A or lipid-free polysaccharide isolated after mild acid hydrolysis. Only native LPSs show positive inhibitory activity, indicating that part of lipid A is involved in the binding of MAHI 3. From the results, it is indicated that the structural element recognized by MAHI 3 is Hep alpha 1-->2Hep alpha 1-->3Hep alpha 1-->Kdo together with part of lipid A, including the phosphate.

252Cf-plasma desorption mass spectrometry analysis of lipids A obtained by an elimination reaction under mild conditions

Lipids A are the hydrophobic domains of bacterial endotoxic lipopolysaccharides. Since they are responsible for most of the biological activities (both pathogenic and beneficial) of endotoxins, the characterization of their structure is crucial to the understanding of their mode of action. However, the inadequacy of existing methods for preparing certain lipids A has prompted us to devise a new, mild procedure which gives intact products. Use was made of the special features of 252Cf-plasma desorption mass spectrometry for forming molecular ions from these species and giving qualitative and quantitative information from the primary mass spectrum.

Structural characterization of the lipid A of Bordetella pertussis 1414 endotoxin

The structure of Bordetella pertussis 1414 lipid A was investigated by classical methods of chemical analysis as well as plasma desorption mass spectrometry and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Previous analysis showed that it contained a bisphosphorylated beta-(1-->6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxytetradecanoic acid in amide linkage. The presence of two main molecular species as seen by thin-layer chromatography was confirmed by plasma desorption mass spectrometry, in which the larger signal was attributable to a molecular ion containing two glucosamine, two phosphate, one tetradecanoic acid, one hydroxydecanoic acid, and three hydroxytetradecanoic acid residues. The ion of the smaller signal was lighter by the mass of one hydroxytetradecanoic acid residue (226 Da). The fatty acids in ester linkage were localized by chemical and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry analysis. C-4 and C-6' hydroxyl groups of the backbone disaccharide were unsubstituted, the latter being the proposed attachment site for Kdo (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid).