title: Immunological characteristics of the glycolipid antigen of Leptospira interrogans serovar lai.
abstract: The protective antigen (PAg), a glycolipid substance, was extracted from Leptospira interrogans serovar lai strain 017 with a chloroform-methanol-water (1:2:0.8 [vol/vol/vol]) solution and partially purified by silica gel column chromatography. The PAg was not detected by Coomassie brilliant blue staining in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis but was observed as a smearlike band, which corresponded to a 24- to 30-kilodalton standard protein, by silver staining. The outer envelope (OE) fraction showed the same band, suggesting that the PAg was one of the chemical components of the OE. The immunogenicity and protective activity of the PAg were compared with those of the OE. The PAg as well as the OE and whole cells was able to induce agglutinating antibody against L. interrogans. Furthermore, the immune sera exhibited opsonic activity against L. interrogans, as observed by measurement of chemical luminescence derived from reactive oxygen. The PAg exhibited protective activity in hamsters challenged with lethal doses of L. interrogans. Therefore, the antigen may be useful as a component vaccine against leptospiral infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuzawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014895:Weil Disease / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; D009895:Opsonin Proteins