Abstract
Activation of the alternative pathway of complement is known to be initiated by bacterial structures. We have fractionatedPropionibacterium acnes cells, purified various cell fractions, and tested their complement-activating ability in human serum chelated with ethyleneglycol bis- (β-aminoethylether)-N, N1-tetraacetic acid. The majority of complement-activating activity was localized in the wall fraction. This activity was resistant to lipid extraction, protease, RNAse, DNAse and lysozyme treatment. NaIO4, formamide, and hot (but not cold) trichloraacetic acid (TCA) extraction ablated the complement-activating capacity of cell walls. Compounds removed by extraction failed to consume significant hemolytic activity against antibody-coated sheep erythrocytes (EA). Addition of TCA-extracted soluble material to cell wall suspensions resulted in an inhibition of hemolytic consumption by the cell wall. These results indicate that, inP. acnes, complement-activating molecules are located in the cell wall and are carbohydrate in nature. Peptidoglycan, lipid, protein, and nucleic acids do not appear to contribute to the cell wall's ability to activate complement.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Johnson, R. B. 1977. Biology of the complement system with particular reference to the host defense vs. infection: A review,In Malnutrition and the Immune Response. R. M. Suskind, editor. Raven Press, New York. 205–307.
Marcus, R. L., H. S. Shin, andM. M. Mayer. 1971. An alternative complement pathway: C3 cleaving activity, not due to C4, 2a, on endotoxic lipopolysaccharide after treatment with guinea pig serum.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 68:1351–1354.
McGinley, K. J., G. F. Webster, andJ. J. Leyden. 1978. Regional variations of cutaneous propionibacteria.Appl. Environ. Microbiol.35:62–66.
Baker, J. J., S. P. Chan, S. S. Socransky, J. J. Oppenheim, andS. E. Meroenhagen. 1976. Importance ofActinomyces and certain gram-negative anaerobic organisms in the transformation of lymphocytes from patients with periodontal disease.Infect. Immun. 13:1363–1368.
Woodruff, M. F., andJ. L. Boak. 1966. Inhibitory effects of injection ofCorynebacterium parvum on the growth of tumor transplants in isogenic host.Br. J. Cancer 20:345–355.
Woodruff, M. F., N. Dunbar, andA. Ghaffar. 1973. The growth of tumors in T-celldeprived mice and their response to treatment withCorynebacterium parvum.Proc. R. Soc. London (Biol.) 184:97–102.
Webster, G. F., J. J. Leyden, M. E. Norman, andU. R. Nilsson. 1978. Complement Activation in acne vulgaris: in vitro studies withPropionibacterium acnes andPropionibacterium granulosum. Infect. Immun.22:523–529.
Webster, G. F., J. J. Leyden, andU. R. Nilsson. 1979. Complement activation in acne vulgaris: Consumption of complement by comedones.Infect. Immun. 26:183–186.
Webster, G. F., andC. S. Cummins. 1978. Use of bacteriophage typing to distinguishPropionibacterium acnes types I and II.J. Clin. Microbiol. 7:84–90.
Bligh, E. G., andW. J. Dyer. 1959. A rapid method of total lipid extraction and purification.Can. J. Biochem. Physiol. 37:911–917.
Dubois, M., K. A. Gilles, J. K. Hamilton, D. A. Rebers, andF. Smith. 1956. Colorimetric method for the determination of sugars and related substances.Anal. Chem. 28: 350–356.
Lowry, O. H., N. J. Rosebrough, A. L. Farr, andR. J. Randall. 1951. Protein measurement with the Folin-phenol reagent.J. Biol. Chem. 193:265–275.
Mayer, M. M. 1961. Complement and complement fixation.In Experimental Immunochemistry, 2nd ed. E. A. Kabat and M. M. Mayer, editors. C. C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois. 133–240.
Fine, D. P., S. R. Marrey, D. G. Colley, J. S. Sergeant, andR. M. DesPrez. 1977. C3 shunt activation in human serum chelated with EGTA.J. Immunol. 109:807–809.
Johnson, J. L., andC. S. Cummins. 1974. Cell wall composition and deoxyribonucleic acid similarities among the anaerobic coryneforms, classical propionibacteria and strains ofArachnia propionica.J. Bacteriol. 10:1047–1066.
Cummins, C. S. 1975. Identification ofPropionibacterium acnes and related organisms by precipitin tests with trichloracetic acid extracts.J. Clin. Microbiol.,2:104–110.
Cummins, C. S. 1973. Bacterial cell wall structure.In Handbook of Microbiology, Vol. II, Microbial Composition. A. L. Laskin and H. A. Lechevalier, editors. CRS Press, Cleveland. 167–199.
Okuda, T., O. Yanasi, andI. Takazoe. 1978. Complement activation byPropionibacterium acnes and Bacteroides melaninogenicus.Arch. Oral Biol. 23:911–915.
Baker, C. A., P. A. Campbell, andJ. R. Hollister. 1977. Chemotaxigenesis and complement fixation byListeria monocytogenes cell wall fractions.J. Immunol. 119:1723–1726.
Greenblatt, J., R. K. Boackle, andJ. H. Schwab. 1978. Activation of the alternate complement pathway by peptidoglycan from streptococcal cell wall.Infect. Immun. 19:296–303.
Hawley, C. E., andW. A. Falkler. 1977. Anticomplementary activity ofFusobacterium polymorphum in normal and C4-deficient sources of guinea pig complement.Infect. Immun. 18:124–129.
Saulsbury, F. T., andJ. A. Winkelstein. 1979. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by L-phase variants of gram-positive bacteria.Infect. Immun. 23:711–716.
Smith, S. M., R. Burrell, andI. S. Snyder. 1978. Complement activation by cell wall fractions ofMicropolysopora faeni.Infect. Immun. 22:568–571.
Verbrugh, H. A., W. C. Van Dijk, R. Peters, M. E. Vandertol, andJ. Verhoef. 1979. The role ofStaphyloccus aureus cell wall peptidoglycan, teichoic acid and protein A in the process of complement activation and opsonization.Immunology 37:615–621.
Wilkinson, B. J., Y. Kim, P. K. Peterson, P. F. Quie, andA. F. Michael. 1978. Activation of complement by cell surface components ofStaphylococcus aureus.Infect. Immun. 20:388–392.
Winkelstein, J. A., andA. Tomasz. 1977. Activation of the alternative pathway by pneumococcal cell walls.J. Immunol. 118:451–454.
Winkelstein, J. A., andA. Tomasz. 1978. Activation of the alternative complement pathway by pneumococcal cell wall teichoic acid.J. Immunol. 120:174–178.
Bokisch, V. A. 1975. Interactions of peptidoglycans with anti-IgS-s and with complement.Z. Immunitaetsforsch. 149:320–330.
Tauber, J. W., M. J. Polley, andJ. B. Zabriskie. 1976. Nonspecific complement activation by streptococcal structures. II. Properdin independent initiation of the alternative pathway.J. Exp. Med. 143:1365–1366.
Cummins, C. S., and S.Stimpson. 1978. Characterization of the reticulostimulative component ofCorynebacterium parvum. Annual Meeting Abstracts, American Society for Microbiology.
Cantrell, J. L., andR. W. Wheat. 1979. Antitumor activity and lymphoreticular stimulation properties of fractions isolated fromCorynebacterium parvum.Cancer Res. 39: 3554–3563.
Riveros-Moreno, V., andA. Niblock. 1979. Chemical properties of the principle inC. parvum that produces splenomegaly in mice.Immunology 36:495–499.
Okuda, M., R. Yoshioka, T. Ikekawa, G. Chihara, andK. Nishioka. 1972. Anticomplementary activity of antitumor polysaccharides.Nature (London),New Biol. 238:59–60.
Sundsmo, T. S., andO. Goetze. 1980. Human monocyte spreading induced by factor B of the alternative pathway of complement activation.Cell. Immun. 52:1–17.
Webster, G. F., andW. D. McArthur. 1980. Modulation ofC. parvum induced lymphoreticular stimulation by cobra venom factor.Clin. Res. 28:254A.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Webster, G.F., Nilsson, U.R. & McArthur, W.P. Activation of the alternative pathway of complement in human serum byPropionibacterium acnes (Corynebacterium parvum) cell fractions. Inflammation 5, 165–176 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00914205
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00914205