Common lipopolysaccharide specificity: new type of antigen residing in the inner core region of S- and R-form lipopolysaccharides from different families of gram-negative bacteria.

A new antigenic specificity, referred to here as common lipopolysaccharide (LPS) specificity, is described in the LPSs of gram-negative bacteria belonging to various families. The specificity is present in S- and R-form LPS but absent in Re mutants of different enterobacterial genera. By the use of purified LPS and monospecific antibodies obtained by immunoabsorption, the specificity is differentiated from the known core specificities of the genus Salmonella and the lipid A specificity by aid of the passive hemolysis and passive hemolysis inhibition test. In Salmonella minnesota R-form LPS, the specificity may be cryptic (R345, Rb2 mutant) or partly exposed in the intact molecule (R7, Rd1 mutant). The specificity is either demasked or completely exposed after mild acid hydrolysis for a short time, whereas it is destroyed after prolonged hydrolysis. Periodate oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis under conditions that do not affect the ketosidic linkages of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid destroy the specificity in R4 (Rd2 mutant) LPS, but do not do so in R7 LPS. It is suggested that 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid and a following neutral sugar are the compositional requirements for expressing the specificity.

Biological activities of lipopolysaccharides and lipid A from Rhodospirillaceae.

The lipopolysaccharides and free lipid A from several strains of Rhodospirillaceae were assayed comparatively with those of Enterobacteriaceae in a number of biological tests. Free lipid A's from Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa and Rhodospirillum tenue exhibited strong serological cross-reactions with each other and with free lipid A from Salmonella. Lipid A's from Rhodopseudomonas viridis and Rhodopseudomonas palustris, although cross-reacting with each other, did not do so with either the lipid A of R. gelatinosa or R. tenue or with that of Salmonella. The presence or absence of the above cross-reactions agreed with corresponding similarities or differences in the chemical structure of the lipid A preparations. The lipopolysaccharide of R. gelatinosa was highly toxic for adrenalectomized mice and pyrogenic for rabbits; however, it exhibited no anti-complementary activity. The activity of the R. tenue lipopolysaccharide was very low in both the lethality and pyrogenicity tests. Its corresponding free lipid A also exhibited low pyrogenic activity; however, its lethal toxicity for adrenalectomized mice was considerably higher than that of the intact parent lipopolysaccharide. Both intact lipopolysaccharide and, unexpectedly, the free lipid A exhibited no anti-complementary activity. The lipopolysaccharides of R. viridis and R. palustris were virtually nontoxic for mice and nonpyrogenic for rabbits. Both lipopolysaccharides were highly potent in their interaction with complement. They therefore represent the first example of nontoxic lipopolysaccharides exhibiting high anti-complementary activity.