Rietschel E T, Brade L, Schade U, Galanos C, Freudenberg M, Lüderitz O, Kusumoto S, Shiba T
Institut für Experimentelle Biologie und Medizin, Forschungsinstitut Borstel, Federal Republic of Germany.
Eur J Biochem. 1987 Nov 16;169(1):27-31. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1987.tb13576.x.
A pentaacyl precursor of lipid A biosynthesis, termed precursor Ib, and a structural isomer have been chemically synthesized. These compounds were, in comparison to synthetic Escherichia-coli type lipid A or lipopolysaccharide, analyzed for their activity in typical endotoxin test systems. It was found that both precursor Ib and the isomer exhibited similar or only slightly lower pyrogenic, lethal and Shwartzman-phenomenon-inducing activity than lipid A. All preparations were comparable in their B-lymphocyte mitogenicity, macrophage-activating capacity and immunoreactivity towards lipid A antisera. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the 1-dephospho derivative of synthetic and bacterial precursor Ib were indistinguishable proving that the previously proposed structure for precursor Ib is correct.
