Binding specificity for four monoclonal antibodies recognizing terminal Gal alpha 1-->4Gal residues in Haemophilus influenzae lipopolysaccharide.

Four murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with the outer-core region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Haemophilus influenzae were generated after immunization with azide-killed H. influenzae RM.7004 AH1-2 and their epitope specificities studied. The monoclonal antibodies: MAHI 6 (IgM), MAHI 5 (IgG2a), MAHI 8 (IgG3), and MAHI 11 (IgG2b) bound to synthetic glycoconjugates or glycolipids with terminal galabiosyl (Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta 1-) or globotriaosyl (Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta 1 1-->4GLc) residues as evaluated in enzyme immunoassays (EIA). Glycoconjugates or glycolipids with internally placed galabiose elements were not active, indicating selectively of the MAbs for recognition of the epitope. Nine LPSs from H. influenzae inhibited the binding of the four MAbs. The presence of the galabiosyl disaccharide element in these nine LPSs was evidence by the binding of 125I-labeled Shiga toxin isolated from the bacterium Shigella dysenteriae type 1, reported to have as receptor the Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta disaccharide (Lindberg et al., J Biol Chem, 1987, 262: 1779-85). Structural studies of these H. influenzae LPSs were also in accord with the presence of the galabiosyl disaccharide, in addition 1H-NMR spectroscopy showed the presence of O-acetyl groups in the RM.7004 AH1-2 LPS. However, differential binding specificities of the MAbs to modified RM.7004 AH1-2 LPSs were observed. MAHI 6 and MAHI 11 bound equally well to LPS, polysaccharides obtained after mild acidic treatment, and dephosphorylated LPS samples as shown in inhibition EIA. In contrast, both dephosphorylated LPS samples and polysaccharides were poorer inhibitors of the binding of MAHI 5 and MAHI 8 to native RM.7004 AH1-2 LPS. Neither the de-O-acylated nor the de-O,N-acylated LPSs were effective inhibitors of any of the four MAbs. These results suggest that the MAbs recognition involves Gal alpha 1-->4Gal and O-acetyl and other saccharide residue(s) from the oligosaccharide moiety of the LPS. The epitopes are also expressed and accessible to recognition in clinical isolates coming from different sources of Neisseria spp., Haemophilus spp., and Moraxella catarrhalis, but not in Bordetella spp., Aeromonas spp. or Enterobacteriaceae as evaluated by whole-bacteria EIA and colony-dot-immunoblotting.