BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITIES OF CELL-ENVELOPE FRAGMENTS OF THE ARCHAEOBACTERIUM SULFOLOBUS-SOLFATARICUS - LETHAL TOXICITY, LOCAL HYPERSENSITIVITY,PYROGENICITY AND SPLEEN LYMPHOCYTE MITOGENICITY
F. Galdiero et al., BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITIES OF CELL-ENVELOPE FRAGMENTS OF THE ARCHAEOBACTERIUM SULFOLOBUS-SOLFATARICUS - LETHAL TOXICITY, LOCAL HYPERSENSITIVITY,PYROGENICITY AND SPLEEN LYMPHOCYTE MITOGENICITY, Journal of General Microbiology, 139, 1993, pp. 2167-2172
The sensitizing effect and the local and general toxicity related to m
embrane components of the archaeobacterium Sulfolobus solfataricus was
studied. Cell envelope fragments were biologically active but this ac
tivity was lost upon separation of the lipid and protein components. T
he envelope fragments exerted lethal effects on mice sensitized with D
-galactosamine that were prevented by pretreatment with anti-TNF-alpha
serum. This lethal activity occurred in both LPS-responder (BALB/cByJ
) and LPS-nonresponder (C3H/HeJ) mouse strains. In addition, Sulfolobu
s envelope fragments tested in rabbits caused a local Shwartzman react
ion, and showed pyrogenic activity. In vitro, the envelope fragments t
hat act on spleen lymphocytes of the LPS-responder (BALB/cByJ) and LPS
-nonresponder (C3H/HeJ) mice caused an uptake of [H-3]thymidine simila
r to that caused by concanavalin A. A similar toxic activity to that e
xerted by eubacteria is therefore exerted by this non-pathogenic archa
eobacterium despite the difference in surface chemistry.