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Inhibition of the classical pathway of complement by meningococcal capsular polysaccharides.

ABSTRACT: Almost all invasive Neisseria meningitidis isolates express capsular polysaccharide. Ab is required for complement-dependent killing of meningococci. Although alternative pathway evasion has received considerable attention, little is known about classical pathway (CP) inhibition by meningococci, which forms the basis of this study. We engineered capsulated and unencapsulated isogenic mutant strains of groups A, B, C, W, and Y meningococci to express similar amounts of the same factor H-binding protein (fHbp; a key component of group B meningococcal vaccines) molecule. Despite similar anti-fHbp mAb binding, significantly less C4b was deposited on all five encapsulated mutants compared with their unencapsulated counterparts (p < 0.01) when purified C1 and C4 were used to deposit C4b. Reduced C4b deposition was the result of capsule-mediated inhibition of C1q engagement by Ab. C4b deposition correlated linearly with C1q engagement by anti-fHbp. Whereas B, C, W, and Y capsules limited CP-mediated killing by anti-fHbp, the unencapsulated group A mutant paradoxically was more resistant than its encapsulated counterpart. Strains varied considerably in their susceptibility to anti-fHbp and complement despite similar Ab binding, which may have implications for the activity of fHbp-based vaccines. Capsule also limited C4b deposition by anti-porin A mAbs. Capsule expression decreased binding of an anti-lipooligosaccharide IgM mAb (? 1.2- to 2-fold reduction in fluorescence). Akin to observations with IgG, capsule also decreased IgM-mediated C4b deposition when IgM binding to the mutant strain pairs was normalized. In conclusion, we show that capsular polysaccharide, a critical meningococcal virulence factor, inhibits the CP of complement.

SUBMITTER: Agarwal S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4119509 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Inhibition of the classical pathway of complement by meningococcal capsular polysaccharides.

Agarwal Sarika S Vasudhev Shreekant S DeOliveira Rosane B RB Ram Sanjay S

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 20140711 4

Almost all invasive Neisseria meningitidis isolates express capsular polysaccharide. Ab is required for complement-dependent killing of meningococci. Although alternative pathway evasion has received considerable attention, little is known about classical pathway (CP) inhibition by meningococci, which forms the basis of this study. We engineered capsulated and unencapsulated isogenic mutant strains of groups A, B, C, W, and Y meningococci to express similar amounts of the same factor H-binding p ...[more]

PMID: 25015832

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Project description:The complement, as part of the innate immune system, represents the first line of defense against Gram-negative bacteria invading the bloodstream. The complement system is a zymogen cascade that ultimately assemble into the so-called membrane attack complex (MAC), which lyses Gram-negative bacteria upon insertion into the outer membrane. Traditionally, serum has been used as complement source, for example to study the bactericidal activity of monoclonal antibodies or antibodies raised upon vaccination. Due to the significant donor to donor variability, as well as susceptibility of complement factors to handling and storage conditions, assay reproducibility using human serum is low. Moreover, the presence of pre-existing antibodies and antimicrobial compounds are confounding factors. To remove antibodies from human serum, we applied ?/?-light chain specific affinity chromatography, however the method severely reduced the complement activity due to the depletion of complement components. Therefore, we attempted to reconstitute human complement-namely the alternative (rAP) and the classical (rCP) pathways-from purified complement factors. We found that adding C1-inhibitor to the mixture was essential to maintain a stable and functional C1 and thus to generate an active rCP. We further confirmed the functionality of the rCP by testing the complement-dependent bactericidal activity of a human monoclonal antibody, A1124 against an E. coli clinical isolate belonging to the ST131 clonal complex, and that of a polyclonal IVIg against a laboratory E. coli strain (MG1655) not expressing LPS O-antigen and capsule. Although the alternative pathway did not have any bactericidal activity by itself, it enhanced MAC deposition induced by rCP and increased the overall bactericidal activity against the ST131 E. coli strain. In conclusion, we report for the first time the successful in vitro reconstitution of the classical pathway of the human complement to establish a serum-free, complement dependent bactericidal assay. This system offers high level of standardization and could support the study of the complement in different research fields.

Dataset Information

Inhibition of the classical pathway of complement by meningococcal capsular polysaccharides.

Publications

Inhibition of the classical pathway of complement by meningococcal capsular polysaccharides.

Similar Datasets

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