Biologically active components from mycobacterial cell walls. III. Production of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in guinea-pigs.
The efficacy of various fractions of mycobacterial cell walls in producing experimental ahlergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) has been evaluated. BCG (Bacillus-Calmette-Buérin) cell walls were effective in producing EAE in all animals at dose levels as low as 40 mug. Study of subfractions of these cell walls revealed the following: (1) wax D was active, but required larger doses than BCG cell walls; (2) the chloroform-methanol-soluble (CMS) portion of wax D and P3 (a mycolic acid-trehalose ester contained therein) were inactive; (3) the chloroform-methanol-insoluble (CMI) portion of wax D was active; (4) exhaustively delipidated cell wass skeletons of BCG, Nocardia asteroides, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae and M. kansaii were active; (5) two water-soluble adjuvants prepared from mycobacteria were active. These results suggest that the mycobacterial structure responsible for EAE adjuvanticity is present in the organic solvent-insoluble cell wall skeleton framework. The activity of wax D may be due to the presence of cell-wall skeleton constituents which are found in varying quanity in most wax D preparations. Wax D components soluble in a solution of chloroform:methanol (diluted 2:1 v/v) do not produce EAE.
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D002458:Cell Fractionation / Q000379:methods; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D002725:Chloroform; D002845:Chromatography; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000032:analysis; D009171:Mycolic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009616:Nocardia asteroides / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012995:Solubility; D014199:Trehalose / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014885:Waxes / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D009171:Mycolic Acids; D014885:Waxes; D002725:Chloroform; D014199:Trehalose; D000432:Methanol