title: Lactic acid is the factor in blood cell extracts which enhances the ability of CMP-NANA to sialylate gonococcal lipopolysaccharide and induce serum resistance.
abstract: In previous work, a factor which enhances the ability of cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetyl neuraminic acid (CMP-NANA) to sialylate gonococcal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was liberated at 4 degrees C in diffusates from high M(r) fractions of blood cell sonicates. The diffusates also contained CMP-NANA and converted serum susceptible gonococci to resistance. The enhancer has now been separated from CMP-NANA and material absorbing at 260 nm by HPLC on mu Bondapak-10 NH2. Resistance inducing activity was found only in fractions containing CMP-NANA and recovery was poor (about 25%). However, addition of enhancer fractions to CMP-NANA substantially increased its resistance inducing activity. Blood cell sonicates dialysed at 18-20 degrees C released enhancer in diffusates. These were ultrafiltered (nominal cut off 3000 Da) and fractionated on Biogel P2 which removed saccharides and most material absorbing at 260 nm. Over 90% of a fraction which was enhancer-active in nanogram quantities was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectometry (GC/MS) as lactic acid. A fraction with similar properties was obtained from a different batch of diffusate by fractionation on Dowex 1. Authentic lithium L-lactate in nanogram quantities enhanced LPS sialyation by CMP-NANA and increased its serum resistance inducing activity. These results have important implications for gonococcal pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: School of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Boons
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ashton
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Redfern
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quirk
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Constantinidou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bramley
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001773:Blood Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003569:Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D003569:Cytidine Monophosphate N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid