A novel lipopolysaccharide-binding hemagglutinin isolated from hemocytes of the solitary ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi: it can agglutinate bacteria.

A hemagglutinin was isolated from hemocytes of the ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi, by a procedure including extraction and ion-exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose. The molecular weight of the hemagglutinin was estimated to be 120,000 by gel filtration. It was resistant to acid treatment but sensitive to alkali or heat treatment. The hemagglutinating activity was inhibited by heparin, chondroitin sulfate, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but not by mono- and disaccharides such as N-acetyl-galactosamine, galactose, and melibiose. The hemagglutinin showed binding ability to heparin and LPS, as demonstrated by heparin-Sepharose chromatography and centrifugation experiments, respectively. It was also found that the hemagglutinin can bind to various bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio anguillarum, Pseudomonas perfectomarinus, Achromobacter aquamarinus, and Alteromonas putrefaciens, and can agglutinate all of them.

Humoral response of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata to trematode infection: observations on a circulating hemagglutinin.

The hemolymph of invertebrates often contains molecules that agglutinate vertebrate erythrocytes and that may function as humoral mediators of "non-self" recognition. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine if exposure of M line or 10-R2 strain Biomphalaria glabrata snails to infection with the trematodes Echinostoma paraensei and Schistosoma mansoni could increase agglutinating activity in snail hemolymph, and 2) identify particular hemolymph molecules with such activity. In some host-parasite combinations, such as juvenile M line snails and E. paraensei, infection provoked significant elevations in titer from as early as 2 days postinfection (dpi) through 15 dpi. In other combinations, as with 10-R2 snails and E. paraensei or S. mansoni, host responses were comparatively modest, yet still measurable. In general, E. paraensei and S. mansoni elicited different responses from the same host strain, and M line and 10-R2 snails responded differently to the same parasite. Further study of the response of juvenile M line snails to E. paraensei indicated that hemolymph agglutinating activity could be inhibited by several monosaccharides (including L-fucose) and by EDTA and EGTA. An affinity column containing L-fucose agarose beads was used to purify molecules with agglutinating activity from the hemolymph of such snails. The fraction eluted from the column by 0.2 M L-fucose was shown by SDS-PAGE to contain a broad band of 80-120 kD and, less consistently, a 200 kD band. Following extensive dialysis to remove L-fucose, this fraction had agglutinating activity. As a previous study has shown that the hemolymph of E. paraensei-infected snails contains significantly increased quantities of 80-120 kD polypeptides, it is concluded that polypeptides in this size range are responsible, at least in part, for the increased hemolymph agglutination activity in such snails.

Binding characteristics of galactoside-binding lectin (galaptin) from human spleen.

Binding characteristics of human spleen soluble galactoside-binding protein (galaptin) were studied using simple galactosides, galactose-terminated disaccharides, cluster glycosides containing up to 6 terminal lactosyl residues, bovine serum albumin derivatives containing 7 to 40 lactosyl residues, desialylated serum glycoproteins, and glycopeptides derived thereof as inhibitors in a newly developed binding assay. In this assay, aminohexyl lactoside was attached to divinyl sulfone-activated Sepharose, which was then used to bind 125I-galaptin. Similarly derivatized Sepharose containing mannoside served as a control. The assay is sensitive, maintains linearity in the concentration range of 125I-galaptin tested, and has very low nonspecific binding. The following new findings were made. 1) All the alpha-D-galactopyranosides with non-sugar aglycon were better inhibitors than the corresponding beta-D-galactopyranoside. 2) The S-galactosides were better inhibitors than the corresponding O-galactosides, regardless of the anomeric configuration. 3) Many Gal beta 1-4- and Gal beta 1-3-linked disaccharides were tested. Although the galaptin did not appear to recognize N-acetylglucosamine as a monosaccharide, the presence of this sugar penultimate to galactose increased the binding affinity by as much as 500-fold, as was the case for N-acetyllactosamine. Of a particular importance is the presence of an equatorial 3-OH group on this sugar. We synthesized the 3-deoxy derivative of N-acetyllactosamine and found that it had 50-fold lower binding affinity compared to N-acetyllactosamine. 4) The binding sites of this lectin do not seem to be operating in a cooperative fashion, since synthetic lactose-containing divalent ligands with various inter-galactose distances did not increase the binding affinity significantly.

Activity and preliminary characterization of Branchiostoma lanceolatum agglutinin.

The physical and chemical properties of a hemagglutinin from whole-body homogenates of the cephalochordate, Branchiostoma lanceolatum, are described. The hemagglutinin is proteinaceous since it is precipitated by trichloroacetic acid and ammonium sulphate, and all activity is lost at 60 degrees C or by treating with proteases. Carbohydrate moieties are probably also present since activity is lost after incubation with sodium metaperiodate. Activity is stable over pH 6-10. The agglutinin does not require Ca++ or Mg++, and a reduced titer after treatment with 2-mercaptoethanol and urea suggests the presence of both disulphide bonds and noncovalent linkages. Haemagglutination inhibition experiments with 17 saccharides and glycoproteins failed to show clear-cut carbohydrate specificity, with only mucin and fetuin having any inhibitory effect, so that the binding may be complex. Finally, cross-adsorption experiments suggest that only one lectin is present. The function of this lectin, especially in an immunobiological context, remains speculative.

[In vitro study of the effects of oxolinic acid at sub-inhibitory concentrations on the activity of hemagglutinins and adhesion to uroepithelial cells by Escherichia coli isolated from urine]. / Etude in vitro des effets de l'acide oxolinique à concentrations sub-inhibitrices sur l'activité des hémagglutinines et de l'adhésion aux cellules uro-épithéliales des Escherichia coli isolés des urines.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of sub-MIC doses of oxolinic acid (quinolone), widely used in the treatment of urinary tract infections, on both haemagglutinating activity and adhesion capacity of 13 Escherichia coli strains isolated from urine during acute cystitis or pyelonephritis. All these strains adhered to uroepithelial cells and showed mannose-sensitive and/or mannose-resistant haemagglutinating activity. Sub-MIC doses of oxolinic acid induced filaments in most of the bacterial cultures; however, inhibition of haemagglutination and adhesion was variable in vitro. When inhibition did take place in any one strain, both haemagglutination and adhesion were affected. These results confirm those of other authors and indicate that the effect of sub-MIC doses of a given antibiotic is strain-specific; they also indirectly show the heterogeneity of E. coli strains isolated from urine. It thus seems unlikely that, in clinical conditions, a single antibiotic is capable of reducing adhesion, given the diversity of the adhesins found in pathogenic E. coli strains.

A developmentally regulated lectin in Bufo arenarum embryos.

We report the levels of an endogenous beta-galactoside lectin activity from Bufo arenarum whole embryos extracts and specific inhibition by saccharides at different developmental stages. Specific activity measured against trypsinized rabbit red blood cells showed relatively high and fluctuating levels during early stages (up to about 76 h post-fertilization) which fell to significantly lower and more constant values at late stages (77-264 h post-fertilization). Lactose is the most potent inhibitor of this lectin activity, and saccharides having alpha-galactoside configurations are weaker inhibitors. At the last embryonic stage, the agglutinating activity showed a different sugar specificity which suggests either the modification of the preexistent lectin or the synthesis of another type of lectin. The possible physiological roles of these lectins in the blockage of polyspermy or in embryonic cell-cell interactions are discussed.

A developmentally regulated lectin in Bufo arenarum embryos

We report the levels of an endogenous beta-galactoside lectin activity from Bufo arenarum whole embryos extracts and specific inhibition by saccharides at different developmental stages. Specific activity measured against trypsinized rabbit red blood cells showed relatively high and fluctualting levels during early stages (up to about 76 h post-fertilization) which fell to significantly lower and more constant values at late stages (77-264 h post-fertilization). Lactose is the most potent inhibitor of this lectin activithy, and saccharides having alpha-galactoside configurations are weaker inhibitors. At the last embryonic stage, the agglutinating activity showed a different sugar specificity which suggests either the modification of the preexistent lectin or the sybthesis of another type of lectin. The possible physiological roles of these in the blockage of polyspermy or in embryonic cell-cell interactions are discussed

Oxidation and chemical modification of lung beta-galactoside-specific lectin.

Galaptins are small, soluble, lectins with a specificity for beta-galactose residues. Many galaptins are inactivated by atmospheric oxygen and are protected by disulphide-reducing reagents. We find that each subunit of rat lung galaptin contains one residue of tryptophan and six of cysteine. Oxygen inactivates rat lung galaptin by oxidation of the cysteine residues. During oxidation, the normal dimeric structure is maintained and all disulphide bonds are formed within individual subunits. Exogenous thiols protect against inactivation, but oxidized thiols accelerate inactivation. Human lung fibroblast galaptin is almost completely inactivated within 1 h in tissue culture medium at 37 degrees C. Alkylation of native rat lung galaptin with iodoacetate or ethyleneimine causes substantial loss of activity. The dimeric galaptin structure is maintained. In contrast, alkylation with iodoacetamide yields carboxamidomethyl-galaptin, which is fully active and stable to atmospheric oxygen in the absence of disulphide-reducing reagents. This derivative is very useful for studies of galaptin properties and function.

Oligomannoside-type glycopeptides inhibiting adhesion of Escherichia coli strains mediated by type 1 pili: preparation of potent inhibitors from plant glycoproteins.

Various structurally defined glycopeptides of natural origin were tested as inhibitors of guinea pig erythrocyte agglutination by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains expressing type 1 pili. Besides hybrid-type glycoasparagines from ovalbumin which were not active, large oligomannoside-type carbohydrate chains from legume storage glycoproteins moderately inhibited hemagglutinations, whereas the short oligomannoside-type glycoasparagine from ovalbumin Man alpha(1----6) [Man alpha(1----3)]Man alpha(1----6)[Man alpha(1----3)] Man beta(1----4)GlcNAc beta(1----4)GlcNAc beta(1----N)Asn exhibited a potent activity. These results strongly suggested that the nonsubstitution of the alpha(1----3)-linked mannosyl residue from the N-linked glycopeptide core structure is the key determinant in the minimal structural requirement specific to this fimbrial lectin. Such Man5GlcNAc2-containing glycopeptides were obtained from larger N-linked carbohydrate chains, occurring abundantly in natural sources. The ability of jack bean alpha-mannosidase to cleave the alpha(1----2)-linked mannoses more rapidly than the others allowed the controlled digestion of large oligomannoside-type glycopeptides from legume storage glycoproteins. Such shortened glycopeptides of plant origin were prepared which strongly inhibited guinea pig erythrocyte agglutinations as well as bacterial adhesion on human buccal cells, thus confirming their similarity (if not identity) with the receptor of type 1 pili on mammalian cells. The importance of this preparation of a receptorlike compound that inhibits bacterial adhesion with regard to the research on the role of type 1 pili in E. coli pathogenicity is discussed.

Isolation and some properties of exohemagglutinin from the culture medium of Bacteroides gingivalis 381.

Exohemagglutinin was found in the culture medium of Bacteroides gingivalis 381. Exohemagglutinin was purified 3,150-fold from culture fluid by ultracentrifugation followed by gel filtration on Sepharose CL-4B and by affinity chromatography on arginine-agarose. Examination of the final preparation of exohemagglutinin by biochemical analysis and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the isolated exohemagglutinin contained three major proteins but not a detectable lipopolysaccharide. Hemagglutination inhibition experiments showed that the activity of exohemagglutinin was inhibited by L-arginine and the arginine-containing peptides, although the activity was unaffected by the sugars tested. Some protein and glycoproteins that were examined also exhibited the inhibitory activity. When the bovine submaxillary mucin was chemically modified by beta-elimination and bovine serum albumin was modified by guanidination, the inhibitory effects on hemagglutination were significantly enhanced. These results suggest that the hemagglutination of the isolated exohemagglutinin may be involved in arginine residues as components of ligand-binding sites on erythrocytes.

Hemagglutinin responses in Japanese quail treated with exogenous adrenocorticotrophin.

Injections of exogenous ACTH in chickens are known to cause immunosuppression provided that ACTH administration is properly timed with respect to immunization. In random-bred Japanese quail, injections of ACTH at various times both before and after immunization with erythrocyte antigens did not significantly alter antibody responses. This finding was consistent whether the ACTH was administered over a 4 hr or a 6 day period, and whether sheep or chukar erythrocytes were used as the antigen.

Identification of endogenous binding proteins for the lectin discoidin-I in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Recent biochemical and genetic evidence has shown that the endogenous lectin discoidin-I is involved in intercellular adhesion during development of the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum. We have prepared discoidin-I affinity columns and used them to isolate the lectin receptors. By using the cell surface radioiodination method, 11 discoidin-I binding proteins were identified in wild-type NC4 cells by gel electrophoresis, with apparent molecular weights of 95,000, 85,000, 78,000, 72,000, 60,000, 33,000, 31,000, 28,000, 25,000, 21,000, and 15,000. Only three (gp33, gp31, and gp28) were under developmental regulation. The amount of gp31 increased 8- to 10-fold during aggregation, and it was the predominant discoidin-I binding protein synthesized at the aggregation stage. Discoidin-I binding proteins derived from aggregation stage cells were potent inhibitors of discoidin-I in a hemagglutination assay in vitro. The same preparation was found to promote aggregation of cells bearing discoidin-I on the surface, suggesting a multivalent interaction.