Macrophage nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activation by Nocardia opaca fractions and 15‐ and 56‐kD isolated antigens

• Published in: Clinical and experimental immunology Vol. 104; no. 2; pp. 215 - 220
• Main Authors: TUČKOVÁ, L., ZÍDEK, Z., HANIKÝŘOVÁ, M., CUKROWSKA, B., TLASKALOVÁ‐HOGENOVÁ, H., BAROT‐CIORBARU, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford BSL Blackwell Science Ltd 01.05.1996; Blackwell; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - biosynthesis; Antibodies, Monoclonal - chemistry; Antibodies, Monoclonal - pharmacology; Antigenic determinants, haptens, artificial antigens; Antigens; Antigens, Bacterial - isolation & purification; Antigens, Bacterial - pharmacology; Binding, Competitive - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Enzyme Activation - immunology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Interferon-gamma - immunology; macrophage activation; Macrophages, Peritoneal - enzymology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitogens - immunology; Molecular immunology; nitric oxide synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; Nocardia - chemistry; Nocardia - immunology; Nocardia opaca; Original; Immunostimulation; Enzyme; Nocardiaceae; Monoclonal antibody; Nitric-oxide synthase; Actinomycetales; Antigen; Cell fraction; Antigenicity; Immunogenicity; Nocardia opaca; Bacteria; Actinomycetes; Oxidoreductases; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0009-9104; 1365-2249
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.23730.x

The Gram‐positive bacterium, Nocardia opaca, is a source of substances with adjuvant effect, ability to stimulate macrophages and natural killer cells for enhanced cytotoxity and cytokine production and B lymphocytes for polyclonal immunoglobulin secretion. We determined the immunogenicity of isolated N. opaca fractions and prepared MoAbs against immunogenic water‐soluble mitogen (NWSM). Two main proteins of molecular mass 15 and 56 kD were detected in Western blot analysis and isolated by affinity chromatography using anti‐NWSM MoAb B7/7. Both these isolated nocardial antigens were found to stimulate mouse peritoneal macrophage NOS. The effect of 5 μg NWSM was comparable to that of 5 μg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 20 U of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) added to cell cultures. The MoAb B7/7 decreased NO−2 production induced by NWSM or by isolated nocardial antigens, but did not significantly influence the production elicited by LPS or IFN‐γ. On the other hand, NOS activation by NWSM was not affected by anti‐IFN‐γ MoAb. The possible independent pathway for IFN‐γ and NWSM macrophage activation is discussed.