title: Effects of hydrostatic pressure on the Leptospira interrogans: high immunogenicity of the pressure-inactivated serovar hardjo.
abstract: The Hardjoprajitno strain of Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo was subjected to different hydrostatic pressures. Complete inactivation occurred when the leptospires were treated with 2 kbar for 60 min. Electron microscopy showed dislocation of the outer membrane, partial loss of the helical shape and extrusion of the axial filament from the cytoplasmic cylinder of the pressurized leptospires. When the pressure-treated leptospires were inoculated into rabbits they were highly immunogenic. The sera of these animals presented a titer of 2048 in the microscopic serum agglutination reaction. Fluorescence measurements indicated that the action of pressure on the leptospires might have resulted from perturbation on membrane protein components, permitting the binding of the fluorescent probe bis (8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate) (Bis-ANS). This is the first report of the use of hydrostatic pressure to inactivate pathogenic bacteria with the potential to lead to a vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia do Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 6627 Caixa Postal 486, Av Antonio Carlos, 31270 901, Minais Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giongo
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Camargos
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Koury
mesh_terms: D000817:Anilino Naphthalenesulfonates; D000818:Animals; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011817:Rabbits; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000817:Anilino Naphthalenesulfonates; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; C035763:5,5'-bis(8-(phenylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonate)