Five anti-core glycolipid monoclonal antibodies (MAb) (four against Escherichia coli J5 lipopolysaccharide [LPS] and one against the Re core glycolipid of Salmonella typhimurium) were characterized using LPS from several rough and smooth strains and derivatives of E. coli J5 LPS, obtained by N acetylation and hydrolysis.The MAb against E. coli J5 were not or only weakly cross-reactive with clinical isolates, whereas the anti-Re MAb was highly cross-reactive. The MAb differed in their reaction pattern with E. coli J5 LPS. MAb 4-7B5 (immunoglobulin M) and MAb 4-6A1 (immunoglobulin Gl) cross-reacted with LPS of Salmonella minnesota R5 and S. typhimurium Ra and Rc and little with Re and lipid A. The dominant binding site of these MAb was located in the glucose-heptose-heptose region and was independent of phosphate substitution. The MAb 4-9A1 reacted with the terminal part of the core region (glucose-heptose) and was dependent on phosphate substitution of the LPS. The MAb BA7 (immunoglobulin G3) was E. coli J5 LPS specific and reacted with the glucosaminyl-heptose disaccharide. Antibody 8-2C1 was directed against the common parts of LPS, 3deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid, and lipid A, which are not (or only weakly) recognized by the four anti-J5 LPS MAb. Thus, MAb that are not cross-reactive can be directed against at least three different antigenic determinants present on the core oligosaccharide of E. coli J5 LPS. * Corresponding author.
421MATERIALS AND METHODS Bacteria, LPS isolation, and chemical modifications of E. coli J5 LPS. Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli 0135K+, Proteus mirabilis, and Morganella morganii were isolated from the blood of patients with septic shock caused by gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria were grown on Isosensitest agar (Oxoid, United Kingdom) plates (18 h, 37°C). After harvesting, they were washed twice with phosphatebuffered saline (PBS) and heat killed in PBS for 1 h at 100°C.LPS. LPS of the R strains S. minnesota R5 (RcP-), E. coli J5 (RcP+), and S. typhimurium Ra, Rc (RcP+), and Re were isolated as described previously (7,8). They were dissolved in distilled water (5 mg/ml), ultrasonicated (5 min), adjusted to pH 7 with triethylamine, and kept at -20°C. Lipid A, obtained from H. Brade, was isolated from the E. coli Re mutant strain F515 by acetate buffer hydrolysis (0.1 M, pH 4.4, 1 h, 100°C) (4). Hydrolysis of E. coli J5 LPS. Sequential hydrolysis of LPS (20 mg/ml) was started with 20 mM acetate buffer (pH 4.4) for 3 h at 70°C. After dialysis against distilled water, dialysate 1 was concentrated by evaporation, and the remainder was further hydrolyzed with 0.1 M acetate buffer (pH 4.4) for 1 h at 100°C. After dialysis, dialysate 2 was obtained as described above. A part of the remainder (65%) was further hydrolyzed with 0.1 M HCl for 1 h at 100°C. The other 35% was termed J5 LPS-ACB (yield, 78%). Dialysate 3 was obtained as described above after 0.1 M HCl hydrolysis. This remainder was termed J5 LPS-HCI (yield, 31.4%).Af...