High-molecular-mass lipopolysaccharides are involved in Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae adherence to porcine respiratory tract cells.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia. The major adhesin of A. pleuropneumoniae has been identified as the lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) (M. Bélanger, D. Dubreuil, J. Harel, C. Girard, and M. Jacques, Infect. Immun. 58:3523-3530, 1990). Using immunoelectron microscopy and flow cytometry, we showed in the present study that LPSs were well exposed at the surface of this encapsulated microorganism. Immunolocalization with porcine lung and tracheal frozen sections showed that extracted LPS bound to the lung mesenchyme and vascular endothelium and to the tracheal epithelium, respectively. Inhibition of adherence of A. pleuropneumoniae with extracted LPS was also performed with lung and tracheal frozen sections. Acid hydrolysis of LPS revealed that the active component of LPS was not lipid A but the polysaccharides. LPSs from A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes 1 and 2 were separated by chromatography on Sephacryl S-300 SF, in the presence of sodium deoxycholate, according to their molecular masses. The adherence-inhibitory activity was found in the high-molecular-mass fractions. These high-molecular-mass fractions contained 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid and neutral sugars, and they were recognized by a monoclonal antibody directed against A. pleuropneumoniae O antigen but not recognized by a monoclonal antibody against capsular antigen.