Binding specificity of polymyxin B, BPI, LALF, and anti-deep core/lipid a monoclonal antibody to lipopolysaccharide partial structures.

The deep core/lipid A (DCLA) region of gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is common to most gram-negative pathogens and contains anionic phosphoryl groups plus numerous acyl chains as part of the toxic lipid A moiety. Several disparate agents that antagonize the effects of LPS exhibit extensive physicochemical similarities (hydrophobicity, cationic charge) within their binding domains. It is presumed that binding to the DCLA region by each of these antagonists-cross-reactive anti-LPS monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), polymyxin B (PmB), plus bactericidal permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and Limulus anti-LPS factor (LALF)-may be related to these properties. Therefore, we hypothesized that in addition to secondary and tertiary protein conformation, electrostatic interactions involving the negatively charged phosphoryl groups, hydrophobic interactions involving the acyl chains of lipid A, or both might be important factors that promote LPS antagonism. Binding of PmB, BPI, LALF, or anti-DCLA mAb 1B6 to Salmonella minnesota monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), diphosphoryl lipid A (DPLA), and Salmonella minnesota Re (which possess a common structural moiety, but vary considerably in structure and charge) was examined. Highly phosphorylated DNA and bovine serum albumin served as unrelated structural controls. BPI bound MPLA, which is hydrophobic and minimally charged, while mAb 1B6 bound anionic DNA; neither PmB nor LALF were reactive with MPLA or DNA. We surmised that hydrophobic interactions play a role in BPI binding to LPS, and although electrostatic interactions appear to be important for binding of mAb 1B6 to DCLA, they may not contribute to as great an extent for PmB, BPI, or LALF. Thus our data support the contention that the contribution of these specific physicochemical factors varies among endotoxin antagonists.