Endotoxins of Gram-negative microbes fulfill as components of the outer membrane a vital function for bacterial viability and, if set free, induce in mammalians potent pathophysiological effects. Chemically, they are lipopolysaccharides (LPS) consisting of an O-specific chain, a core oligosaccharide, and a lipid component, termed lipid A. The latter determines the endotoxic activities and, together with the core constituent Kdo, essential functions for bacteria. The primary structure of lipid A of various bacterial origin has been elucidated and lipid A of Escherichia coli has been chemically synthesized. The biological analysis of synthetic lipid A partial structures proved that the expression of endotoxic activity depends on a unique primary structure and a peculiar endotoxic conformation. The biological lipid A effects are mediated by macrophage-derived bioactive peptides such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF). Macrophages possess LPS receptors, and the lipid A regions involved in specific binding and cell activation have been characterized. Synthetic lipid A partial structures compete the specific binding of LPS or lipid A and antagonistically inhibit the production of LPS-induced TNF. LPS toxicity, in general, and the ability of LPS to induce TNF are also suppressed by a recently developed monoclonal antibody (IgG2a), which is directed against an epitope located in the core oligosaccharide. At present we determine molecular and submolecular details of the specificity of the interaction of lipid A with responsive host cells with the ultimate aim to provide pharmacological or immunological therapeutics that reduce or abolish the fatal inflammatory consequences of endotoxicosis.

No abstract

The eggs of the parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni are powerful inducers of a T helper type 2 (Th2) immune response and immunoglobulin E (IgE) production. S. mansoni egg extract (SmEA) stimulates human basophils to rapidly release large amounts of interleukin (IL)-4, the key promoter of a Th2 response. Here we show purification and sequence of the IL-4-inducing principle of S. mansoni eggs (IPSE). Stimulation studies with human basophils using SmEA fractions and natural and recombinant IPSE as well as neutralization and immunodepletion studies using antibodies to recombinant IPSE demonstrate that IPSE is the bioactive principle in SmEA leading to activation of basophils and to expression of IL-4 and IL-13. Regarding the mechanism of action, blot analysis showed that IPSE is an IgE-binding factor, suggesting that it becomes effective via crosslinking receptor-bound IgE on basophils. Immunohistology revealed that IPSE is enriched in and secreted from the subshell area of the schistosome egg. We conclude from these data that IPSE may be an important parasitederived component for skewing the immune response toward Th2.Infection with the parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni leads to a pronounced Th2 1 response and to elevated IgE production both in humans and in experimental animals. The definition of parasite-derived products capable of skewing the immune response toward Th2 would not only enhance our understanding of the defense mechanisms involved in helminth infections but may also lead to new insights into the pathogenesis of immediate-type hypersensitivity diseases such as asthma. However, in contrast to our increasing understanding of how pathogen-derived products can initiate Th1-type immune responses, there is so far little detailed knowledge about the nature of the parasite-derived molecule(s) and the underlying mechanisms that trigger and/or amplify a Th2-type reaction. In S. mansoni infection, a critical role in inducing a polarized Th2 response is played by the egg stage of the parasite (1), since a Th2 response and IgE production are only observed after egg deposition or following injection of schistosome eggs (2) or extracts thereof (3) into naive animals. By contrast, the initial larval (schistosomula) and adult worm stages rather induce a response skewed to Th1.It is now firmly established, both in vivo and in vitro, that the cytokine profile present during an immune reaction is an important element in directing the response to Th1 or Th2 and that IL-4 is the key cytokine responsible for biasing the immune reaction toward a Th2 phenotype (4 -7). In the human system, basophils are a prominent source of IL-4 and IL-13; these cells secrete large amounts of IL-4 and IL-13 in response to IgE-receptor cross-linking or activation by a combination of IL-3 and C5a (8, 9). Indeed, human basophils can be viewed as "innate Th2-type" effector cells, since IL-4 and IL-13 are expressed in a very restricted manner without production of any of the cytokines involved in Th1-type immune responses. We therefore ...

No abstract

BackgroundLipopolysaccharide (LPS), also referred to as endotoxin, is the major constituent of the outer leaflet of the outer membrane of virtually all Gram-negative bacteria. The lipid A moiety, which anchors the LPS molecule to the outer membrane, acts as a potent agonist for Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2-mediated pro-inflammatory activity in mammals and, thus, represents the endotoxic principle of LPS. Recombinant proteins, commonly manufactured in Escherichia coli, are generally contaminated with endotoxin. Removal of bacterial endotoxin from recombinant therapeutic proteins is a challenging and expensive process that has been necessary to ensure the safety of the final product.ResultsAs an alternative strategy for common endotoxin removal methods, we have developed a series of E. coli strains that are able to grow and express recombinant proteins with the endotoxin precursor lipid IVA as the only LPS-related molecule in their outer membranes. Lipid IVA does not trigger an endotoxic response in humans typical of bacterial LPS chemotypes. Hence the engineered cells themselves, and the purified proteins expressed within these cells display extremely low endotoxin levels.ConclusionsThis paper describes the preparation and characterization of endotoxin-free E. coli strains, and demonstrates the direct production of recombinant proteins with negligible endotoxin contamination.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-015-0241-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gram-negative bacteria possess an asymmetric lipid bilayer surrounding the cell wall, the outer membrane (OM). The OM inner leaflet is primarily composed of various glycerophospholipids, whereas the outer leaflet predominantly contains the unique amphiphilic macromolecule, lipopolysaccharide (LPS or endotoxin). The majority of all gram-negative bacteria elaborate LPS containing at least one 2-keto 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate (Kdo) molecule. The minimal LPS structure required for growth of Escherichia coli has long been recognized as two Kdo residues attached to lipid A, inextricably linking viability to toxicity. Here we report the construction and characterization of the nonconditional E. coli K-12 suppressor strain KPM22 that lacks Kdo and is viable despite predominantly elaborating the endotoxically inactive LPS precursor lipid IV(A). Our results challenge the established E. coli Kdo2-lipid A dogma, indicating that the previously observed and well-documented dependence of cell viability on the synthesis of Kdo stems from a lethal pleiotropy precipitated after the depletion of the carbohydrate, rather than an inherent need for the Kdo molecule itself as an indispensable structural component of the OM LPS layer. Inclusion of the inner membrane LPS transporter MsbA on a multicopy plasmid partially suppresses the lethal deltaKdo phenotype directly in the auxotrophic parent strain, suggesting increased rates of nonglycosylated lipid A transport can, in part, compensate for Kdo depletion. The unprecedented nature of a lipid IV(A) OM redefines the requisite LPS structure for viability in E. coli.

The positively charged chemokine platelet factor 4 (PF4) forms immunogenic complexes with heparin and other polyanions. Resulting antibodies can induce the adverse drug effect heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. PF4 also binds to bacteria, thereby exposing the same neoantigen(s) as with heparin. In this study, we identified the negatively charged lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as the PF4 binding structure on Gram-negative bacteria. IntroductionBesides their pivotal role in hemostasis, platelets are involved in host defense against pathogens and in modulation of immune reactions. This function of platelets occurs either indirectly through their interaction with endothelial cells and leukocytes 1,2 or directly by secretion of antimicrobial substances from platelet storage granules and lysosomes. 3,4 Recently, we have shown that the chemokine platelet factor 4 (PF4), which is stored within platelet ␣-granules, plays a role in bacterial host defense by inducing a humoral immune response to PF4-coated bacteria. 5 During bacterial infections, platelets are activated 6,7 and release positively charged PF4, which can bind in a charge-dependent manner to the bacterial surface, thereby inducing neoepitopes. The formation of antigenic PF4 clusters is probably the result of neutralization of the positive charge of PF4 by polyanions, 8 which allows narrowing of the distance between single PF4 tetramers down to 3 to 5 nm. This creates linear, ridge-like complexes and exposes new antigenic epitopes on PF4. 9 Antibodies to PF4/polyanion complexes bind to PF4 on the bacterial surface, leading to opsonization and increased phagocytosis of PF4-coated bacteria. 5 As PF4 is capable of binding to a large variety of bacteria, the antibody response to PF4/polyanion complexes constitutes a very broad reactive defense mechanism and could represent an evolutionary interface between innate and specific immunity. Antibodies induced by PF4 clusters would be an example of antibodies with a limited target antigen repertoire that nevertheless could result in binding to a large variety of bacteria when these bacteria are coated with PF4. 5 In medicine, research on the immune reaction to PF4/polyanion complexes to date has primarily focused on its role in causing an adverse reaction to the anticoagulant heparin as PF4 forms immunogenic complexes with heparin on platelet surfaces. Anti-PF4/polyanion antibodies bind to these PF4/heparin complexcoated platelets and induce Fc-receptor-dependent platelet activation, 10,11 leading to intravascular consumption of platelets, associated potentiation of in vivo thrombin generation, and the prothrombotic syndrome, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).We and others have recently demonstrated the prevalence of anti-PF4/heparin antibodies of the IgM class in up to 20% and of the IgG class in up to 6% of the general population and in a slightly lower number of normal blood donors. 5,12 These antibodies are highly significantly associated with periodontitis, one of the most prevalent human infections, often associate...

Colanic acid (CA) or M-antigen is an exopolysaccharide produced by many enterobacteria, including the majority of Escherichia coli strains. Unlike other capsular polysaccharides, which have a close association with the bacterial surface, CA forms a loosely associated saccharide mesh that coats the bacteria, often within biofilms. Herein we show that a highly mucoid strain of E. coli K-12 ligates CA repeats to a significant proportion of lipopolysaccharide ( Enteric bacteria synthesize and display a complex array of various cell surface polysaccharides. There can be at least six distinct saccharide polymers simultaneously present within the glycocalyx of a typical strain of Escherichia coli. At present, the known components of the saccharide matrix include lipopolysaccharide (LPS)2 O-antigens (1), enterobacterial common antigen (ECA) (2), capsular polysaccharides (K-antigen) (3), poly ␤-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (PNAG) (4), the ␤-1,4-glucan polymer bacterial cellulose (5), and colanic acid (CA or M-antigen) (6). The tremendous diversity within the serotype specific repeat units [ϳ170 O-antigens, ϳ80 K-antigens (7)], coupled with regulation of expression levels between polysaccharide classes, facilitates the expression of a multitude of glycocalyx compositions. For each strain and/or given growth environment, a number of cell coat polysaccharide states can be sampled to attain a balance that is suitable for a particular niche. The network of E. coli surface polysaccharides can be further subdivided into those that are tightly associated or covalently linked to the outer membrane (OM) (O/K-antigens, ECA) and those that are loosely associated, called exo-or slime polysaccharides. The exopolysaccharides (in particular CA and PNAG (8)) are integral components of biofilms, acting as the "cement," which holds together the various protein, lipid, and polysaccharide components (9). The vast majority of CA is secreted into this extracellular milieu, with no evidence existing of a lipid anchor tethering CA chains to the OM. Disruption of the putative acetyl transferase gene wcaF from the CA gene cluster in E. coli K-12 severely curtailed the maturation and development of the complex three-dimensional architecture typically associated with robust biofilms (10).CA is a polyanionic heteropolysaccharide containing a repeat unit with D-glucose, L-fucose, D-galactose, and D-glucuronic acid sugars that are nonstoichiometrically decorated with O-acetyl and pyruvate side chains (6, 11). The CA polysaccharide repeat is assembled on the membrane lipid undecaprenol pyrophosphate (Und-PP) by a series of glycosyl transferases on the cytoplasmic face of the inner membrane, after which the single repeat is flipped to the periplasmic side and polymerized by the Wzy-dependent pathway (reviewed in Refs. 1 and 3). Subsequently, the polymer is presumably cleaved from the Und-PP anchor, transported across the periplasm, and excreted into the extracellular space in a poorly understood process. The genetic determinant for CA biosynthesis resides ...