title: Phosphocholine-containing glycoglycerolipids (GGPL-I and GGPL-III) are species-specific major immunodeterminants of Mycoplasma fermentans.
abstract: Mycoplasma fermentans has unique glycoglycerophospholipids (GGPLs: GGPL-I and GGPL-III). Previously, the structure of these lipids was determined as phosphocholine-6'-alpha-glucopyranosyl-(1'-3)-1, 2-diacyl-glycerol (GGPL-I) and 1"-phosphocholine-2"-aminodihydroxypropane-3"-phospho-6'-alph++ + a- glucopyranosyl-(1'-3)-1, 2-diacyl-glycerol (GGPL-III). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) immunostaining showed that the GGPLs were main lipid-antigens of the M. fermentans species. Anti-M. fermentans serum stained mainly the GGPLs, but the other anti-mycoplasma sera (anti-M. arginini, anti-M. hyorhinis, anti-M. pneumonia, anti-M. primatum, and anti-Acholeplasma laidlawii, anti-M. hominis, anti-M. orale, and M. salivarium) stained neither GGPL-I nor GGPL-III. The TLC analysis of glycolipids and phospholipids of various human related mycoplasmas showed clearly that GGPLs are specifically expressed in M. fermentans species. GGPL-I and GGPL-III ranged from 1.6 to 28% and from an undetectable level to 35% of total phospholipids, respectively. Although there was heterogeneity among the amounts of GGPL-I or GGPL-III of M. fermentans strains, all of the M. fermentans strains had GGPL-I and/or GGPL-III. These observations showed that GGPL structures are species-specific immunodeterminants of M. fermentans. The fact that the GGPLs are main phospholipid components of the M. fermentans species means the M. fermentans has a unique choline metabolic pathway. This observation may raise phylogenetic interest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harasawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: C106372:1''-phosphocholine-2''-aminodihydroxypropane-3''-phospho-6'-glucopyranosyl-(1'-3)-1,2-dipalmitoylglycerol; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D006017:Glycolipids; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; C091226:6'-O-phosphocholineglucopyranosyl-(1'-3)-1,2-dipalmitoyl