Surface Antigens of Gonococci: Correlation with Virulence and Serum Resistance

• Published in: Journal of general microbiology Vol. 129; no. 5; pp. 1559 - 1567
• Main Authors: DE HORMAECHE, RAQUEL DEMARCO, THORNLEY, MARGARET J, HOLMES, ALISON
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Soc General Microbiol 01.05.1983
• Subjects: Animals; Antigen-Antibody Reactions; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Antigens, Surface - immunology; Blood Bactericidal Activity; Immune Sera - immunology; Immunodiffusion; Immunoelectrophoresis, Two-Dimensional; Lectins - immunology; Lipopolysaccharides - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - immunology; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - pathogenicity; Virulence
• ISSN: 0022-1287; 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/00221287-129-5-1559

Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, U.K. ABSTRACT Summary: Encapsulated and non-encapsulated variants of one strain of gonococcus were compared for their capacity to produce infection in chambers implanted subcutaneously in mice, for their reactions with specific antibody and for their precipitation with wheat germ agglutinin. Only the encapsulated variant could infect implanted chambers. Specific rabbit antiserum raised against the non-encapsulated variant killed only that variant, whereas antibody raised against the encapsulated variant killed both variants. Saline extracts and lipopolysaccharide preparations of the encapsulated variant differed from those of the non-encapsulated one in their reactions with wheat germ agglutinin and antibody in diffusion and electrophoresis tests. Preparations from infective encapsulated gonococci reacted with wheat germ agglutinin while those from the non-encapsulated variant did not. Immunodiffusion tests showed that lipopolysaccharides from both variants share a common antigenic determinant, but saline extracts and lipopolysaccharides from encapsulated gonococci possess an additional determinant. The significance of these findings is discussed.