Release of lipopolysaccharide during Bordetella pertussis growth

HOZBOR, D.; RODRIGUEZ, M.E.; SAMO, A.; LAGARES, A.; YANTORNO, O.

RESEARCH IN MICROBIOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 1993 vol. 144 p. 201 - 209

0923-2508

The effect of the addition of (2,6-O-dimethyl)-β-cyclodextrin (MeβCD) during growth of Bordetella pertussis in synthetic Stainer-Scholte liquid medium (SS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS; endotoxin) release was investigated. The MeßCD concentration used (3 mg/ml) was chosen according to the optimal level found in previous studies to enhance major soluble antigen production. The profiles in SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) of LPS extracted from cells grown in SS and SS + MeßCD media revealed similar patterns. Although the LPS content of whole cells decreased during cell growth, yields obtained at different growth periods in cyclodextrin medium were lower than those corresponding to SS medium alone. Consequently, the level of LPS released in supernatants of both media increased during cellular growth. This amount of free LPS was higher in the cyclodextrin liquid medium and became significant at the beginning of the stationary growth phase. Binding of cyclodextrin to pertussis cells could account for the data obtained. Similar results were obtained with all species of the genus Bordetella. © 1993.