Mitogenic activity of cytoplasmic membranes isolated from L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus.
Cytoplasmic membranes of L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus exerted a strong mitogenic effect on splenocytes of athymic nude mice as well as normal mice, while a cytoplasmic fraction of the same bacteria did not show definite mitogenicity. The mitogenic principle(s) of the membrane fraction was resistant to treatment with trypsin and was heat stable (at 100 C for 10 min). The active principle(s) in the insoluble residue of the membrane fraction digested with trypsin was not extracted with cold acetone, but could be solubilized by extraction with a cold chloroform-methanol mixture (2:1, v/v). The mitogenic principle(s) in the extract was fractionated by silicic acid column chromatography. Among five fractions separated by chromatography, fractions eluted with chloroform-methanol mixtures (1:1 and 1:20, v/v) were found to be strongly mitogenic. The cytoplasmic membranes of the L-forms also exerted a definite mitogenic effect on guinea pig splenocytes, but not on the thymocytes.
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000032:analysis*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007740:L Forms / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D008934:Mitogens; D008938:Mitosis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000032:analysis*
D008934:Mitogens