A deltalike toxin produced by a clinical isolate of Staphylococcus epidermidis was purified, and the amino acid sequence was determined. The toxin molecule consisted of 25 amino acid residues and shared a high degree of molecular homology with delta toxin purified from a Staphylococcus aureus human isolate.

Better understanding of cell-mediated immune responses to rubella virus would provide the basis for the development of safe and effective vaccines against rubella and would aid in analysis of the pathophysiology of congenital rubella syndrome. We have expressed individual rubella virus structural proteins, El, E2 and C, via vaccinia virus recombinants. Using the expressed recombinant proteins as antigens, we were able to demonstrate antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferative responses in control individuals and individuals with congenital rubella syndrome. Among the two human groups studied, El glycoprotein proved to be a better immunogen than E2 or C. For the control individuals, significant differences in proliferative responses to the structural proteins El, E2, and C were observed. These differences were not significant in individuals with congenital rubella syndrome. In parallel to the lymphoproliferative responses, immunoglobulin G responses were also found directed mainly to the El glycoprotein. These results suggest that El may be the most important rubella virus antigen to study in determining the domains required for constructing subunit vaccines against rubella.

No abstract

Rubella virus contains two envelope glycoproteins, E 1 and E2. The amino acid sequence for both glycoproteins is known, as is the number of N-glycosylation sites. This study has demonstrated the presence of O-linked carbohydrates bound to E2 and determined structural characteristics of the N-linked oligosaccharide chains. O-linked sugars were found to be resistant to digestion with N-glycanase but sensitive to betaelimination with alkaline borohydride. After treatment with neuraminidase, O-linked sugars bound to peanut agglutinin, suggesting the presence of the disaccharide galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine, masked by sialic acid. The N-linked oligosaccharides were large, probably four-branched, and showed a lectin binding pattern suggesting the complex type, with terminal Gal, GlcNAc and sialic acid. No Endo H-sensitive carbohydrates were detected.

Immunoblot (IB) assays were developed for detection of rubella virus (RV)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA antibodies in human serum following natural infection or immunization. IB assays performed under nonreducing conditions were compared with those performed under reducing conditions and with immunoprecipitation assays. Significant loss of antigenicity (greater than 90%) of RV E1 and E2 proteins was observed when IB assays were performed in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol as compared with assays under nonreducing conditions. In contrast, the antigenicity of RV capsid protein was not influenced by reducing agents. Sensitivity of IB for RV-specific IgG antibodies was determined to be 0.01 IU/ml under nonreducing conditions. In the determination of RV-specific IgM and IgA antibodies by IB, pretreatment of serum with protein G to remove competing high-affinity RV-specific IgG or rheumatoid factor significantly improved assay sensitivity. IB assays were observed to be superior to immunoprecipitation assays in their ability to better define the specificities of RV-specific antibodies and to detect antibodies of all immunoglobulin classes. However, the conformational sensitivity of RV protein antigenicity should be an important consideration in the interpretation of RV-specific antibodies by IB assays.