Open AccessPartitioning of gonococcal LPS into phenol and water: Different LPS composition of in vivo and in vitro selected variants
Author(s) -
Jessop Helen L.,
Demarco de Hormaeche Raquel,
Senior Kathryn E.,
Tonks Paul
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1988.tb13935.x
Subject(s) - in vivo , in vitro , chemistry , phenol , lipopolysaccharide , microbiology and biotechnology , neisseria gonorrhoeae , composition (language) , biochemistry , biology , immunology , organic chemistry , linguistics , philosophy
Two variants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strain gc40 obtained by growth in subcutaneous chambers (vivo) or by passage on artificial medium (vitro), were subjected to hot phenol‐water extractions. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) partitioned into the phenol, as well as into the water phase. Phospholipid components coextracted with the phenol LPS. Chemical analysis revealed that the vivo and vitro water phase LPSs had a virtually identical lipid A composition. In contrast the hexose and hexosamine content of the polysaccharide fractions differed. SDS‐PAGE separated vivo and vitro extracts into different banding patterns. These results indicate a structural heterogeneity in the LPS of gonococci selected by growth in vivo or in vitro.