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Gelation of Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate by Simple Polysaccharides
Author(s) -
Mikami Takeshi,
Nagase Toshihiko,
Matsumoto Tatsuji,
Suzuki Shigeo,
Suzuki Masuko
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1982.tb00190.x
Subject(s) - limulus , polysaccharide , limulus amebocyte lysate , dextran , lysis , microgram , chemistry , chromatography , biochemistry , leuconostoc mesenteroides , biology , bacteria , in vitro , lactic acid , paleontology , genetics , lipopolysaccharide , endocrinology
The Limulus lysate gelation activity of several simple polysaccharides including yeast mannans and bacterial dextrans was investigated. The mannans from Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild and mutant strains possessing dense branches showed positive gelation activity at concentrations of 1 μg/ml or more regardless of differences in their chemical structure. However, two synthetic mannans possessing linear structures with α1←2 and α1←6 linkages also gave positive reactions at concentrations of 10 μg/ml or more and 500 μg/ml or more, respectively. The dextran from Leuconostoc mesenteroides IAM 1046 consisting of a dense branching moiety displayed reactivity at concentrations of 100 μg/ml or more, while the dextrans devoid of such branches were negative in this reaction. The optimal concentration for Limulus lysate gelation could not be determined for any of the polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) tested in this study. The gelation activity of the polysaccharides was stable to treatment with 100 mm NaOH at 30 C for 72 hr. The minimum concentration for the gelation activity of LPS treated with 100 mm NaOH under the same conditions was reduced from 10 −6~−9 μg/ml to 1–10 μg/ml. The above findings demonstrate that the major part of Limulus lysate gelation activity of LPS depends on the alkali‐degradable lipid A moiety, and that such simple polysaccharides are also able to participate in this activity even though the extent of participation is very low.