title: Heterogeneity of Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharides.
abstract: This work demonstrates that Brucella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparations are a family of related molecules which display heterogeneity not only at the level of the O polysaccharide, but also at the core oligosaccharide and the lipid A. Sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting showed that LPS from Brucella strains displayed molecular weight and antigenic heterogeneity. Smooth-type LPS (S-LPS) from B. abortus demonstrated three broad high-molecular-weight bands corresponding to S-LPS, and a low-molecular-weight band corresponding to O antigen lacking rough-type LPS (R-LPS). B. abortus R-LPS displayed four bands in increasing proportions as the molecular weight diminished. Immunodetection on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) showed that R-LPS displayed three diffuse bands. HPTLC of O polysaccharide revealed two fast migrating bands recognized by antibodies. Gel chromatography and HPTLC analysis of core oligosaccharides from R-LPS demonstrated molecular weight heterogeneity as well as heterogeneous banding pattern, with no obvious correspondence between the two profiles. Immunodetection of lipid A on HPTLC plates revealed two major and three minor bands. Reactivity with mAbs suggested that regardless of the lipid A heterogeneity the basic structure of lipid A backbone is maintained.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiología Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weintraub
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015151:Immunoblotting; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides