ABSTRACT
The antilysozyme activity of 184 meningococcal strains was studied. Such activity was found in all strains within the range 1-25 micrograms/ml, which was due to the heterogeneity of bacterial population. Strains varying in the total level of their lysozyme activity differed in the population structure by this sign. Preparations inhibiting antilysozyme activity could be differentiated according to the character of their action by the method of the population analysis. In the process of phagocytosis the selection of clones with a high level of antilysozyme activity was found to occur. The antilysozyme factor, heat resistant protein with a molecular weight of 10,000-30,000 D, was sensitive to trypsin.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Proteins/pharmacology , Muramidase/antagonists & inhibitors , Neisseria meningitidis/pathogenicity , Bacterial Proteins/isolation & purification , Humans , Meningococcal Infections/microbiology , Microbial Sensitivity Tests/methods , Micrococcus luteus/drug effects , Molecular Weight , Neisseria meningitidis/isolation & purification , PhagocytosisABSTRACT
The study of protective cross-reacting antigenic preparations isolated from meningococci of groups A and C in the blot immunoassay has shown the presence of a group of proteins with a molecular weight ranging from 23 to 31 KD and common for 8 tested serological groups of meningococci, gonococci and 4 nonpathogenic Neisseria species. The possible role of these structures as common Neisseria antigen in the formation of natural resistance to meningococcal infection is discussed.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Bacterial/immunology , Neisseria meningitidis/immunology , Antigens, Bacterial/analysis , Antigens, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Chromatography, Gel , Cross Reactions/immunology , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Immunoblotting , Immunochemistry , Immunoenzyme TechniquesABSTRACT
In cultivation of meningococcus of serological group A in fluid semisynthetic medium of simple composition prepared on the basis of purified acid casein hydrolysate with profound splitting there were obtained microbial cultures with a density of 4-5 x 10(9) microbial cells per 1 ml after 20-24 hours of cultivation with shaking. Alkalinity of the medium increased (to pH 8.0-8.2 during the stationary phase) with increase of the microbial cell concentration. A study of the accumulation of group-specific thermostable polysaccharide antigen in dynamics of meningococcus cultivation on semisynthetic medium tested showed the preparations obtained by alcoholic precipitation to be colourless and to contain much antigen (by inhibition of indirect hemagglutination), particularly at the phasees of negative growth acceleration and at the stationary phase. The suggested fluid semisynthetic medium of simple composition could be used for production of diagnostic and prophylactic meningococcus preparations belonging to the serological group A.
