title: Identification by mass spectrometry of CMP-NANA in diffusible material released from high M(r) blood cell fractions that confers serum resistance on gonococci.
abstract: In previous work, a low M(r) component from human blood which converts serum-sensitive gonococci to resistance was shown to be indistinguishable from cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA) by seven criteria. However, the presence of CMP-NANA was not proved by physicochemical methods. Purified, high M(r) fractions from human blood cells, which confer serum resistance on gonococci and enhance the transfer of sialyl groups from CMP-NANA to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by a sialyltransferase in gonococcal extracts, were rechromatographed on DEAE Sepharose CL-6B. Both activities co-eluted from the column but on dialysis were found in the diffusate. After desalting the diffusate with Sephadex G10, the presence of CMP-NANA was proved by mass spectrometry. This confirmed previous work and is the first unequivocal demonstration of CMP-NANA in constituents of human blood cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, U.K.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Constantinidou
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001773:Blood Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D002458:Cell Fractionation; D003569:Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003569:Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid