Structural and functional characterization of the glycan antigens involved in immunobiology of Q fever.
Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. The bacterium is extremely infectious and is classified as a category biological weapon. A lipopolysaccharide I (LPS I) belongs to the main components of the C. burnetii outer membrane and its structure-function relationship studies are of potential interest. Size-exclusion chromatography revealed noticeable differences in distribution and chemical composition of the O-polysaccharide chains in LPS I. It is likely that C. burnetii is capable of synthesizing chemically distinct subclasses of O-specific polysaccharide molecules differing in their antigenic reactivities. Methylation-linkage analysis indicated the presence of terminal virenose (Vir), dihydrohydroxystreptose (Strep), and mannose (Man), 4-substituted Vir, and 4-substituted Man in the O-specific chain. Serological data indicate that Vir and Strep might be involved in the immunobiology of Q fever.
Laboratory for Diagnosis and Prevention of Rickettsial and Chlamydial Infections, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Pavol
P
Vadovic
Katarina
K
Slaba
Marcela
M
Fodorova
Ludovit
L
Skultety
Rudolf
R
Toman
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000032:analysis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011778:Q Fever / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007106:Immune Sera; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides