In vitro and in vivo modification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharide epitope structure by sialylation

J Exp Med. 1990 May 1;171(5):1649-64. doi: 10.1084/jem.171.5.1649.

Abstract

After growth of gonococci in the presence of cytidine monophospho-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA), their 4.5-kD lipooligosaccharide (LOS) component was increased by approximately 400 daltons, whereas the LOS of strains lacking the 4.5-kD component were unaffected. Expression of mAb-defined epitopes on the 4.5-kD component was decreased on LOS of strains grown in CMP-NANA, and treatment of the LOS with neuraminidase reversed this affect. Gonococci incubated with human PMNs also had decreased expression of the 4.5-kD+ epitopes. A detergent extract of gonococci incorporated radiolabeled NANA in the LOS, suggesting the presence of a sialyltransferase in gonococci. Exogenous sialyltransferases also could use LOS as an acceptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, Bacterial / immunology*
  • Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / metabolism*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Epitopes / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Lipopolysaccharides / immunology*
  • Lipopolysaccharides / isolation & purification
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae / immunology*
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae / ultrastructure
  • Neuraminidase
  • Neutrophils / microbiology
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Sialic Acids / metabolism*
  • Submandibular Gland / enzymology
  • Swine

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Epitopes
  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Sialic Acids
  • lipid-linked oligosaccharides
  • Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid
  • Neuraminidase