title: Nonspecific stimulation of host defense by Corynebacterium kutscheri. II. Isolation of the active moiety.
abstract: The isolation and determination of biological activities of the active component of Corynebacterium kutscheri were attempted in the present investigation. The antitumor effect was confined to the subcellular particle fraction of this bacterium and was associated with a molecule of glycoprotein nature (40,000-38,000 Daltons) isolated from this fraction by affinity chromatography with concanavalin A-Sepharose 4B. This substance exerted mitogenic activity on C3H/HeJ splenocytes and T cells, stimulatory activity on macrophages, and further exhibited antitumor effect on P388 leukemia in CDF1 mice. The Winn assay disclosed that the antitumor effect induced by this substance was dependent on L3T4+ T cells. Furthermore, both the mitogenic and antitumor activity of this moiety were resistant to heating at 100 degrees C for 30 min or RNase digestion, but sensitive to trypsin digestion, or low or high pH. These results indicate that the antitumor effect of C. kutscheri is attributable to the heat-stable glycoprotein moiety which can directly stimulate T cells and macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oku
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamuro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsui
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kashiba
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D051379:Mice; D008934:Mitogens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008934:Mitogens