title: Complement resistance of capsulated strains of Aeromonas salmonicida.
abstract: The complement resistance of Aeromonas salmonicida strains grown under conditions promoting capsule formation was investigated using well characterized strains and their isogenic mutants. Complement resistance was previously studied using the same strains growing under non-capsulating conditions. The serum resistant strains were found to activate complement, but rapidly degrade C3b preventing productive formation of the lytic complex C5b-9. Isogenic lipopolysaccharide rough mutants grown under non-capsulating conditions were serum sensitive, binding a large amount of C3b and leading to productive formation of C5b-9. When grown under conditions promoting capsule formation, these mutants were partially resistant to complement because less C3b is bound to them and also partially degraded, with a concomitant reduction in lytic C5b-9.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tomás
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonet
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simón-Pujol
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Congregado
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000276:immunology*; D003179:Complement C3b / Q000276:immunology*; D003182:Complement C5 / Q000276:immunology*; D050776:Complement C5b; D006801:Humans; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D003182:Complement C5; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D003179:Complement C3b; D050776:Complement C5b