title: Adjuvanticity and ISCOM formation by structurally diverse saponins.
abstract: Adjuvant activity and immunostimulating complex (ISCOM) formation by a series of saponins and glycoalkaloids differing in the structures of their aglycones and sugar chains were examined. The only two saponins apart from Quillaia that were adjuvant-active were Gypsophila and Saponaria, which resemble Quillaia in that they contain saponins with branched sugar chains attached to positions 3 and 28 of the aglycone. Glycoalkaloids with a branched sugar chain lacked adjuvant activity. Saponaria saponins formed irregular ISCOM-like structures, and Gypsophila produced a sheet of joined pore-like structures. The alfalfa hederagenin saponin and Quinoa also formed pore-sheets, despite lacking adjuvanticity.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Epidemiologie des Virus Oncogenes, Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bomford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stapleton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winsor
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Beesley
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Jessup
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Fenwick
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016882:ISCOMs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007114:Immunization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D016882:ISCOMs; D012503:Saponins