Characterization of spheroplast membranes of Neisseria meningitidis group B. 1972

J C Hill, and N R Peterson, and E Weiss

Spheroplast membranes (spheroplast envelopes) of strain 2091 of group B Neisseria meningitidis were prepared by a procedure that included lysozyme treatment of the cells and osmotic lysis of the resulting spheroplasts. Electron microscopy revealed that the membranes consisted of two unit layers, generally parallel to each other. The membrane preparation migrated as a single component in a 40 to 70% sucrose gradient and consisted of 62% protein, 28% lipid, 9% ribonucleic acid, small amounts of carbohydrate, hexosamine, and deoxyribonucleic acid. When 1 or 10 mug (dry weight) was injected intravenously into rabbits, a mild pyrogenic reaction was elicited. In immunodiffusion tests, immune rabbit serum prepared against spheroplast membranes produced three major precipitin lines, with the homologous antigen solubilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate, and a single line with untreated antigen. The immune serum also reacted with a cell wall antigen, and to a lesser extent with some of the cytoplasmic antigens. Succinate dehydrogenase and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase activities were found to be associated with the spheroplast membranes. NADH dehydrogenase also was associated with the membranes but was gradually released and recovered in other fractions. Glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate, glucose-6-phosphate, and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities were not found in the membrane preparation. About one-third of these enzymatic activities were recovered in the supernatant fluid after the sedimentation of the spheroplasts and two-thirds were recovered in the cytoplasmic fraction. N-acetylneuraminic acid (NAN)-condensing enzyme and cytidine monophosphate-NAN synthesizing enzyme also were identified in this organism. These enzymes were not associated with the membranes and were recovered from extracts from whole cells, spheroplasts, or cells exposed to osmotic shock, as well as from spheroplast supernatant and shock fluids. It is concluded that the spheroplast membranes of the strain of meningococci used in these studies are typical of those recovered from gram-negative bacteria.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008055 Lipids A generic term for fats and lipoids, the alcohol-ether-soluble constituents of protoplasm, which are insoluble in water. They comprise the fats, fatty oils, essential oils, waxes, phospholipids, glycolipids, sulfolipids, aminolipids, chromolipids (lipochromes), and fatty acids. (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed) Lipid
D008854 Microscopy, Electron Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen. Electron Microscopy
D009345 Neisseria meningitidis A species of gram-negative, aerobic BACTERIA. It is a commensal and pathogen only of humans, and can be carried asymptomatically in the NASOPHARYNX. When found in cerebrospinal fluid it is the causative agent of cerebrospinal meningitis (MENINGITIS, MENINGOCOCCAL). It is also found in venereal discharges and blood. There are at least 13 serogroups based on antigenic differences in the capsular polysaccharides; the ones causing most meningitis infections being A, B, C, Y, and W-135. Each serogroup can be further classified by serotype, serosubtype, and immunotype. Diplokokkus intracellularis meningitidis,Meningococcus,Micrococcus intracellularis,Micrococcus meningitidis,Micrococcus meningitidis cerebrospinalis,Neisseria weichselbaumii
D010088 Oxidoreductases The class of all enzymes catalyzing oxidoreduction reactions. The substrate that is oxidized is regarded as a hydrogen donor. The systematic name is based on donor:acceptor oxidoreductase. The recommended name will be dehydrogenase, wherever this is possible; as an alternative, reductase can be used. Oxidase is only used in cases where O2 is the acceptor. (Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992, p9) Dehydrogenases,Oxidases,Oxidoreductase,Reductases,Dehydrogenase,Oxidase,Reductase
D011817 Rabbits A burrowing plant-eating mammal with hind limbs that are longer than its fore limbs. It belongs to the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, and in contrast to hares, possesses 22 instead of 24 pairs of chromosomes. Belgian Hare,New Zealand Rabbit,New Zealand Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit, Domestic,Chinchilla Rabbits,NZW Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,Chinchilla Rabbit,Domestic Rabbit,Domestic Rabbits,Hare, Belgian,NZW Rabbit,Rabbit, Chinchilla,Rabbit, NZW,Rabbit, New Zealand,Rabbits, Chinchilla,Rabbits, Domestic,Rabbits, NZW,Rabbits, New Zealand,Zealand Rabbit, New,Zealand Rabbits, New,cuniculus, Oryctolagus
D002462 Cell Membrane The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D002474 Cell-Free System A fractionated cell extract that maintains a biological function. A subcellular fraction isolated by ultracentrifugation or other separation techniques must first be isolated so that a process can be studied free from all of the complex side reactions that occur in a cell. The cell-free system is therefore widely used in cell biology. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p166) Cellfree System,Cell Free System,Cell-Free Systems,Cellfree Systems,System, Cell-Free,System, Cellfree,Systems, Cell-Free,Systems, Cellfree
D002499 Centrifugation, Density Gradient Separation of particles according to density by employing a gradient of varying densities. At equilibrium each particle settles in the gradient at a point equal to its density. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Centrifugations, Density Gradient,Density Gradient Centrifugation,Density Gradient Centrifugations,Gradient Centrifugation, Density,Gradient Centrifugations, Density
D004269 DNA, Bacterial Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of bacteria. Bacterial DNA
D005779 Immunodiffusion Technique involving the diffusion of antigen or antibody through a semisolid medium, usually agar or agarose gel, with the result being a precipitin reaction. Gel Diffusion Tests,Diffusion Test, Gel,Diffusion Tests, Gel,Gel Diffusion Test,Immunodiffusions,Test, Gel Diffusion,Tests, Gel Diffusion

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