Human anti-scrub typhus rickettsia and rabbit anti-Proteus antibodies recognize similar epitope in the O-polysaccharide part of Proteus mirabilis OXK lipopolysaccharide.

In the Weil-Felix test, sera from patients infected with Orientia tsutsugamushi reacted with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Proteus mirabilis OXK strains. The O-polysaccharide of P. mirabilis OXK LPS consisted of pentasaccharide repeating units, with amidically-linked lysine residues. The lysine, linked to galacturonic residues, which plays an important role in the reaction with rabbit anti-OXK antibodies, was revealed with the aid of synthetic antigens. Using ELISA, immunoglobulin M antibodies from scrub typhus patients reacted with the O-specific polysaccharide of strain OXK LPS only. This reaction was inhibited by rabbit antibodies specific to the O-antigen of strain OXK LPS. Both human and rabbit antibodies may bind to similar epitopes on the O-polysaccharide part of P. mirabilis OXK LPS.

Structural and serological studies on a new acidic O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus vulgaris O32.

The following structure of the O-specific polysaccharide chain (O-antigen) of the Proteus vulgaris 032 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was established by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional NOESY and H-detected 1H,13C heteronuclear multiple-quantum coherence (HMQC) experiments: -->2)-alpha-L-RhapI-(1-->2)-alpha-L-RhapII-(1-->4)-beta-D-++ +GalpA(I)-(1-->3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1-->4)-alpha-D-GalpA(II)-(1-- >. In addition, an O-acetyl group was detected, which, most probably, is located at position 3 of a part of RhapI residues. Serological studies, using rabbit polyclonal anti-(P. vulgaris 032) serum, homologous and heterologous Proteus O-antigens and related artificial antigens, revealed the importance of an a-D-GalA-associated epitope in manifesting the immunospecificity of P. vulgaris 032 and substantiated serological relationships between the O-antigen studied and those of some other Proteus strains.

Structural and immunochemical studies on the lipopolysaccharide of the 'T-antigen'-containing mutant Proteus mirabilis R14/1959.

In DOC-PAGE, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Proteus mirabilis R14/1959 (Rb-type) mutant showed a ladder-like migration pattern indicating the presence of a high molecular weight polysaccharide chain. The isolated polysaccharide, called T-antigen because of similarity with the T1 chain of Salmonella friedenau LPS, contained D-glucose, D-galacturonic acid (D-GalA), and D-GlcNAc in molar ratios 2:1:1 and was structurally different from the O-antigen of the parental S-strain P. mirabilis S1959 but identical to the O-antigen of another S-strain Proteus penneri 42. The importance of a D-GalA(L-Lys)-containing epitope, most likely present in the core region of LPS, and of GalA present in the T-antigen chain in manifesting the serological specificity of P. mirabilis R14/1959 were revealed using rabbit polyclonal homologous and heterologous R- and O-specific antisera and the appropriate antigens, including synthetic antigens which represent partial structures of various Proteus LPS.

Structure and epitope characterisation of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O28 containing amides of D-galacturonic acid with L-serine and L-lysine.

The O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus mirabilis O28 was found to contain D-galactose, D-galacturonic acid (GalA), 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, L-serine, L-lysine, and O-acetyl groups in molar ratios 1:2:1:1:1:1, the amino acids being linked via their alpha-amino group to the carboxyl group of GalA. The polysaccharide was studied using 1H- and 13C-NMR spectroscopy, including selective spin-decoupling, one-dimensional total correlation spectroscopy, two-dimensional homonuclear correlation spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear 13C,1H COSY, one-dimensional NOE, and two-dimensional rotating-frame NOE spectroscopy and partial acid hydrolysis followed by borohydride reduction, methylation, and GLC/MS analysis of the derived glycosyl alditols. The following structure of the repeating unit was established: [formula: see text] Epitope specificity of the P. mirabilis O28 polysaccharide was analysed using a homologous rabbit polyclonal antiserum in quantitative precipitation, passive immunohemolysis, and inhibition of passive immunohemolysis. Study with related synthetic glycopolymers (2-acrylamidoethyl glycosides of amides of alpha-D-GalA with amino acids copolymerised with acrylamide) showed the importance of D-GalA(L-Lys) for manifesting serological specificity of the O-antigen. Serological cross-reactions between P. mirabilis O28, S1959, and R14/S1959 (a transient-like form) are discussed.

Structure and epitope specificity of the O-specific polysaccharide of Proteus penneri strain 12 (ATCC 33519) containing the amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-threonine.

O-specific polysaccharide was isolated from Proteus penneri strain 12 (ATCC 33519) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and studied using NMR spectroscopy, including selective spin-decoupling, one-dimensional NOE, two-dimensional homonuclear correlation spectroscopy, 13C,1H heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy and chemical methods (O-deacetylation, Smith degradation, partial acid hydrolysis followed by borohydride reduction and methylation). The amide of D-galacturonic acid with L-threonine [D-GalA(L-Thr)] was identified as a constituent of the polysaccharide and the following structure of the tetrasaccharide repeating unit was established: [formula: see text] where the degree of O-acetylation at either position varies over 20-40%. Serological study with LPS, its degradation products and related synthetic glycoconjugates (2-acrylamidoethyl glycosides of amides of alpha-D-GalA with L-amino acids copolymerised with acrylamide) showed that D-GalA(L-Thr) plays an important role in manifesting the serological specificity of the P. penneri 12 O-antigen. Serological cross reactions between LPSs of P. penneri 12 and Proteus mirabilis S1959, R14/S1959 (transient-like form), O23 and O28 are discussed.

Synthesis of glycuronamides of amino acids, constituents of microbial polysaccharides and their conversion into neoglycoconjugates of copolymer type.

Glycopyranosiduronic acids, amidically linked to amino acids (alanine, serine, threonine, and lysine) were prepared. O-tert-Butyl and N epsilon-tert-butyloxycarbonyl protected amino acid tert-butyl esters were used in ethyl 2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline-1-carboxylate promoted condensation with 2-azidoethyl glycosides of glucuronic and galacturonic acid. Reduction of the azido-function followed by N-acryloylation and removal of blocking groups with trifluoroacetic acid gave the target monomers. These were converted into neoglycoconjugates of copolymer type, potentially useful for immunochemical studies.

Synthesis of O-beta-D-mannopyranosyl-1 leads to 4)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactopyranose, the trisaccharide repeating-unit of the o-specific polysaccharide from Salmonella anatum.

Glycosylation of 1,2:5,6-di-O-idopropylidene-alpha-D-galactofuranose with 2,3-di-O-acetyl-4-O-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-mannopyranosyl)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl bromide, followed by removal of the protecting groups, gave O-beta-D-mannopyranosyl-(1 leads to 4)-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 leads to 3)-D-galactose, which is the trisaccharide repeating-unit of the O-specific polysaccharide chain of the lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella anatum. The formation of the beta-D-mannopyranosyl linkage was achieved by a glucose-mannose conversion via stereoselective reduction of the corresponding oxo-disaccharide.