[Immunological study of the cellular components of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. VI. The toxicity and protective properties of its mucus and its fractions].

Capsule-like mucus was obtained from two newly isolated mucoid strains of P. aeruginosa and then treated with ethanol. The mucus was fractionated by the method of differential centrifugation (at 15, 000 g for 1 h, at 105, 000 or 170, 000 g for 3 h) and gel chromatography in columns packed with Sepharose 4B. The sediment fractions contained 30--80% of high molecular polysaccharide protein (peptide) mucus components which were toxic for mice and protected 25--77% of rats against experimental P. aeruginosa infection. The supernatant fluid fractions contained 60--80% of predominantly protein components with molecular mass between 20,000 and 60,000 daltons. These mucus components were slightly toxic for mice and rats and protected 80--100% of rats against P. aeruginosa infection.