Degradation of Streptococcal Cell Wall Antigens In Vivo

Abstract

Specific chemical modification of group A polysaccharide antigen to the A-variant structure was demonstrated in the lymphoid organs of mice by autoradiography by use of radioantibodies specific for these structures. Both antigenic moieties persisted and were still' discerned 10 weeks after injection of the group A cell wall. In rabbit skin, the group A specificity was altered after a prolonged period. Unlike the situation for the mouse, polysaccharide A was not converted to A-variant structure, but another specificity common to both polysaccharides persisted at the site of injection. Mucopeptide, separated from the polysaccharide of group A cell walls, was eliminated from the site of injection in rabbit skin between 4 and 8 hr after injection. Group D streptococcal cell walls were also rapidly eliminated from tissue, and were no longer detectable 8 hr after injection into rabbit skin or 24 hr after injection into mice. The rapid degradation of these structures was correlated with their susceptibility to lysozyme in vitro and was in contrast to the prolonged persistence of group A cell walls, which were completely resistant to egg white lysozyme. This persistence in tissue correlated with the capacity of group A cell wall fragments to induce a chronic inflammatory process, whereas the isolated mucopeptide or group D cell walls produced only an acute necrotoxic reaction.

Relation of Rheumatic-Like Cardiac Lesions of the Mouse to Localization of Group a Streptococcal Cell Walls

“…antibodies specific for the polysaecharide or mucopeptide cell wall antigens, their labeling with fluorescein isothiocyanate or 125I, and the fluorescence microscopy or radioantography techniques have been described in detail (4, 9). The tissues from all Swiss-Webster mice, injected intraperitoneally or intravenously with crude sonic extract, were fixed in formalin, paraffin--embedded, and sections 4/z thick prepared.…”

INTRAPHAGOCYTIC SS-N-Acetylglucosaminidase

“…(Received for publication 13 December 1967) Studies on the fate of Group A streptococci following phagocytosis have revealed that the ingested streptococci are gradually degraded and lose their serological reactivity with Group A antisera (1,2). 1 In the present studies, the possibility is explored that this degradation is enzymatic in nature and that the loss of serological reactivity is due to the action of an intraphagoeyfic O-Nacetylglucosaminidase.…”

Role of bacterial debris in inflammatory diseases of the joint and eye

“…It was thus vital to develop more specific ways for quantitation of levels of bacterial debris in mammalian tissues. Schwab and co-workers performed pioneering studies on qualitative detection of cell wall debris in mammalian tissues using immunofluorescence after injection of well-defined streptococcal cell wall particles ( Ohanian & Schwab 1967). The first semi-quantitative immunoassay for the detection of streptococcal cell wall debris in mammalian tissues was develop more recently (Eisenberg et al 1982).…”