Immunological properties of Vibrio cholerae lipopolysaccharides.

Immunological effects of wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparations obtained from Vibrio cholerae Inaba 569B, Ogawa NIH 41 and NAG 4715 strains by the hot phenol-water procedure were examined in mice. Although these LPS lack KDO, which are basic components of the core region of most gram-negative LPS, they still have potencies as B-cell mitogens, adjuvants, immunosuppressants, polyclonal B-cell activators and phagocytic stimulants for macrophages. The activities of these V. cholerae LPS on murine immune system seemed to be weaker than those of Salmonella typhimurium LT2-LPS. Among these V. cholerae LPS, NAG 4715-LPS showed the strongest mitogenic activity and phagocytic stimulation, while the potencies of this NAG 4715-LPS for the induction of polyclonal B cell activation, adjuvant effects and immunosuppression did not seem to be greater to those of the other LPS.