Structural and biological characterisation of a novel tetra-acyl lipid A from Escherichia coli F515 lipopolysaccharide acting as endotoxin antagonist in human monocytes

We here report on the structural analysis of a novel tetra-acyl lipid A (LAtetra) isolated from Escherichia coli deep rough (Re)-mutant strain F515. In addition to the biologically active hexa-acyl E. coli-type lipid A (compound 506), this incompletely acylated lipid A was found to be also present in the native LPS. Its structure was studied without further derivatisation by chemical analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, and one- and two-dimensional 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. It was found to be structurally distinct from the tetraacyl lipid A biosynthetic precursor Ia (compound 406) in lacking the primary ( R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid 14:0(3-OH) in position 3′ ester-linked to the `non-reducing' glucosamine (GlcN II). The hydroxyl group at the ( R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid attached to position 2′ of GlcN II was found to be substituted by dodecanoic acid (12:0), thus forming a dodecanoyloxytetradecanoyl residue 14:0[3- O(12:0)]. The acylation pattern at the `reducing' GlcN I was identical to that of compound 406 in having two primary ( R)-3-hydroxy tetradecanoic acid residues [14:0(3-OH)] attached to positions 3 (ester-linked) and 2 (amide-linked), respectively. In human mononuclear cells (hMNC) the new LAtetra antagonized LPS-induced release of interleukine-1 (IL-1), interleukine-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in a dose-dependant manner with identical antagonistic potency as compared with compound 406. Also like compound 406, it was found to be an agonist in murine macrophage-like J774.1 cells.

Structural requirements for TLR4-mediated LPS signalling: a biological role for LPS modifications

Cells of the mucosal lining are the first to encounter invading bacteria during infection, and as such, they have developed numerous ways of detecting microbial intruders. Recently, we showed that epithelial cells recognize lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through the CD14-Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 complex. Here, we identify the substructures of LPS that are recognized by the TLR4 receptor complex. In contrast to lipid A, the O-antigen does not mediate an inflammatory response; rather it interferes with the lipid A recognition. An Escherichia coli strain genetically modified to express penta-acylated lipid A not only showed reduced immunogenicity, but was also found to inhibit pro-inflammatory signalling induced by wild-type E. coli (hexa-acylated lipid A) as well as LPS from other bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Furthermore, penta-acylated LPS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa acted as an antagonist to hexa-acylated E. coli LPS, as did E. coli, as shown by its inhibitory effect on IL-8 production in stimulated cells. Hypo-acylated lipid A, such as that of P. aeruginosa, is found in several species within the gut microflora as well as in several bacteria causing chronic infections. Thus, our results suggest that the composition of the microflora may be important in modulating pro-inflammatory signalling in epithelial cells under normal as well as pathologic conditions.

Towards a rational development of anti-endotoxin agents: novel approaches to sequestration of bacterial endotoxins with small molecules

Endotoxins, or lipopolysaccharides (LPS), present on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria, play a key role in the pathogenesis of septic shock, a common clinical problem and a leading cause of mortality in critically ill patients, for which no specific therapeutic modalities are available at the present time. The toxic moiety of LPS is a glycolipid called 'lipid A', which is composed of a bisphosphorylated diglucosamine backbone bearing up to seven acyl chains in ester and amide linkages. Lipid A is structurally highly conserved in Gram-negative bacteria, and is therefore an attractive target for developing anti-endotoxin molecules designed to sequester, and thereby neutralize, the deleterious effects of endotoxins. The anionic and amphipathic nature of lipid A enables the interaction of a wide variety of cationic amphiphiles with the toxin. This review describes the systematic evaluation of several structural classes of cationic amphiphiles, both peptides and non-peptidic small molecules, in the broader context of recent efforts aimed at developing novel anti-endotoxin strategies. The derivation of a pharmacophore for LPS recognition has led to the identification of novel, nontoxic, structurally simple small molecules, the lipopolyamines. The lipopolyamines bind and neutralize LPS in in vitro experiments as well as in animal models of endotoxicity, and thus present novel and exciting leads for rational, structure-based development of LPS-sequestering agents of potential clinical value.

The interaction of human peripheral blood eosinophils with bacterial lipopolysaccharide is CD14 dependent

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin) is a ubiquitous component of dust and air pollution and is suspected to contribute after inhalation to an activation of eosinophils in bronchial tissues of asthmatic patients, provoking inflammatory and allergic processes. We were therefore interested in the interaction of eosinophil granulocytes with LPS and have examined the activation of and uptake to human peripheral blood eosinophils by LPS. Eosinophils were stimulated by LPS and the endotoxic component lipid A and the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and of the eosinophil-specific granule protein eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) was estimated. The results show induction of TNF-alpha and ECP-release by LPS and lipid A in a dose-dependent manner. Anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody (moAb) (clone MEM-18) and the synthetic lipid A partial structure 406 blocked the release of TNF-alpha and ECP by LPS-stimulated eosinophils. Studies with radioactively labeled LPS showed dose-dependent uptake of (3)H-LPS to eosinophils. The (3)H-LPS uptake was found to be specific because preincubation with unlabeled LPS, compound 406 and also anti-CD14 antibodies inhibited uptake of (3)H-LPS to eosinophil granulocytes. By flow cytometry using anti-CD14 moAb and by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique, CD14 expression was detectable. Furthermore, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of Toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and TLR 4 was detected, indicating the presence of these CD14 coreceptors. The results indicate that eosinophils can take up LPS and can be stimulated by LPS in a CD14-dependent manner. Hence, in addition to allergens, eosinophils interact with endotoxin, a process that possibly exacerbates ongoing inflammatory and allergic processes.

Binding of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide to fasciculata-reticularis and glomerulosa cells evaluated by flow cytometry

Binding of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to the two cell types of the adrenal cortex: fasciculata-reticularis and glomerulosa cells has been studied by flow cytometry and using fluorescein-labeled lipopolysaccharide (FITC-LPS). The binding characteristics were different in relation to time course and number of binding sites. Both fasciculata-reticularis and glomerulosa cells bound LPS in a specific and saturable process. Fasciculata-reticularis cells showed a higher affinity for LPS binding than glomerulosa cells as deduced from Hill plots. Unlabeled LPS decreased FITC-LPS binding in both fasciculata-reticularis and glomerulosa cells, suggesting competition of both ligands for a limited number of binding sites. Lipid A seemed not to be essential for binding of LPS to fasciculata-reticularis cells. However, serum constituents inhibited FITC-LPS binding to both cell types, possibly due to cell interaction with HDL. The exposure of cells to LPS during cell culture did not modify the number of binding sites, but revealed cell size and surfaces structure changes.

Cutting Edge: Cells That Carry A Null Allele for Toll-Like Receptor 2 Are Capable of Responding to Endotoxin

Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4 have been implicated in the responses of cells to LPS (endotoxin). CD14-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 fibroblasts (CHO/CD14) are exquisitely sensitive to endotoxin. Sequence analysis of CHO-TLR2, compared with human and mouse TLR2, revealed a single base pair deletion. This frameshift mutation resulted in an alternative stop codon, encoding a protein devoid of transmembrane and intracellular domains. CHO-TLR2 cDNA failed to enable LPS signaling upon transient transfection into human epithelial kidney 293 cells. Site-directed mutagenesis of CHO-TLR2 enabled expression of a presumed full-length hamster TLR2 that conferred LPS responsiveness in human epithelial kidney 293 cells. Genomic TLR2 DNA from primary hamster macrophages also contained the frameshift mutation found in CHO fibroblasts. Nevertheless, hamster peritoneal macrophages were found to respond normally to LPS, as evidenced by the induction of cytokines. These results imply that expression of TLR2 is sufficient but not essential for mammalian responses to endotoxin.

Molecular mechanisms of endotoxin activity

Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS), a constituent of the outer membrane of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, exerts a wide variety of biological effects in humans. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying these activities and discusses structure-function relationships of the endotoxin molecule, its interaction with humoral and cellular receptors involved in cell activation, and transmembrane and intracellular signal transduction pathways.

Evaluation of cellular immune responses and soluble mediators in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (cHCV) infection

In 54 patients with cHCV infection, peripheral immune responsiveness and soluble mediator release were evaluated. Results demonstrate that in these patients phagocytosis and killing capacities exerted by polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes were profoundly depressed. At the same time, absolute numbers of CD3+, CD8+ and CD16+ cells were reduced, while the CD4(+)-CD8+ dependent antibacterial activity was also impaired. With special reference to soluble mediators, elevated amounts of both soluble interleukin-2 receptor and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were detected in sera of patients. By contrast, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha were within normal ranges, whereas interferon-gamma serum concentrations were decreased. Of note, in 18.5% of cHCV patients circulating levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were detected by means of Limulus assay. In the Limulus+subset of patients, absolute numbers of CD14+ cells were reduced in a significant manner, this implying a putative monocyte-LPS interaction. In conclusion, the overall results indicate a condition of peripheral immune depression in cHCV patients with an exaggerated shedding of various mediators endowed with noxious effects for the host.

Enzymatically deacylated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can antagonize LPS at multiple sites in the LPS recognition pathway

Like other tetraacyl partial structures of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipid A, LPS that has been partially deacylated by acyloxyacyl hydrolase can inhibit LPS-induced responses in human cells. To identify the site(s) of inhibition in the LPS recognition pathway, we analyzed the apparent binding affinities and interactions of 3H-labeled enzymatically deacylated LPS (dLPS) and [3H]LPS with CD14, the LPS receptor, on THP-1 cells. Using (i) incubation conditions that prevented ligand internalization and (ii) defined concentrations of LPS binding protein (LBP), which facilitates LPS and dLPS binding to CD14, we found that dLPS can antagonize LPS in at least three ways. 1) When the concentration of LBP in the medium was suboptimal for promoting LPS-CD14 binding, low concentrations of dLPS were able to compete with LPS for binding CD14, suggesting competition between LPS and dLPS for engaging LBP. 2) When LBP was present in excess, dLPS could compete with LPS for binding CD14, but only at dLPS concentrations that were at or above its KD for binding CD14 (100 ng/ml). 3) In contrast, substoichiometric concentrations of dLPS (1 ng/ml) inhibited LPS-induced (3 ng/ml) interleukin-8 release without blocking LPS binding to CD14. Functional antagonism was possible without competition for cell-surface binding because both LPS-induced interleukin-8 release and dLPS inhibition occurred at concentrations that were far below their respective CD14 binding KD values. In addition to its expected ability to compete with LPS for binding LBP and CD14, dLPS thus potently antagonizes LPS at an undiscovered site that is distal to LPS-CD14 binding in the LPS recognition pathway.

Agonistic and antagonistic activities of bacterially derived Rhodobacter sphaeroides lipid A: comparison with activities of synthetic material of the proposed structure and analogs

Lipid A from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RSLA) has been previously shown to antagonize many of the effects of endotoxins from more pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. We have reported on the synthesis of the proposed structure of RSLA and determined that bacterially derived RSLA is not identical to its proposed structure (W.J. Christ, P. D. McGuinness, O. Asano, Y. Wang, M. A. Mullarkey, M. Perez, L. D. Hawkins, T. A. Blythe, G. R. Dubuc, and A. L. Robidoux, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116:3637-3638, 1994). Here we report results of analyzing the antagonistic and agonistic activities of bacterially derived RSLA in comparison with the activities of chemically synthesized material of the proposed structure of RSLA and analogs. Results indicated that all compounds were approximately equally potent at inhibiting endotoxin-induced release of tumor necrosis factor alpha from human monocytes and human whole blood as well as endotoxin-induced generation of nitric oxide in murine macrophages. In addition, all compounds were of equivalent potencies at inhibiting the binding of 125I-labelled lipopolysaccharide derivatized with 2-(p-azido-salicylamido) ethyl-1-3'-dithiopropionate to murine macrophages. Higher concentrations of bacterially derived RSLA (10 to 100 microM) were agonistic in human and murine assays. In gamma interferon-treated murine macrophages, agonism was exhibited at concentrations as low as 100 nM. In contrast, all synthetic materials were either dramatically less agonistic or devoid of agonistic activity when tested at concentrations as high as 100 microM. It is possible either that bacterially derived RSLA contains a small amount of a highly agonistic impurity or that the agonistic activity of RSLA is intrinsic to its molecular structure. In either case, these biological results support our previous report concluding that biologically derived RSLA is not identical to synthetic material of its proposed structure.