ADJUVANT ACTIVITY OF 6-O-MYCOLOYL-N-ACETYLMURAMYL-L-ALANYL-D-ISOGLUTAMINE

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 67  (6) , 867-877
Abstract
Immunological properties of synthetic 6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramyldipeptide) and 6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramic acid were examined in guinea pigs and mice in comparison with those of BCG cell-wall skeleton, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine, and 6-O-stearoyl-N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine. 6-O-Mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramyldipeptide showed a potent adjuvant activity for induction of delayed hypersensitivity to N-acetyl-L-tyrosine-3-azobenzene-4''-arsonic acid (ABA-N-acetyltyrosine). 6-O-Mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramyldipeptide treated with oil droplets or suspended in phosphate-buffered saline was as effective as oil-attached BCG cell-wall skeleton for the generation of cell-mediated cytotoxic effector cells to [mouse] mastocytoma P815-X2 cells in the spleen of C57BL/6J mice in vivo. However, 6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramyldipeptide was a less active adjuvant than BCG cell-wall skeleton and N-acetylmuramyldipeptide in enhancing the circulating antibody formation to the T[thymus derived]-cell independent antigen 2,4-dinitrophenyl-lysyl (DNP-Lys)-Ficoll in vivo, and in generating helper function of carrier-primed T-cells, and was inactive as a mitogen on normal mouse spleen cells. Although 6-O-mycoloyl-N-acetylmuramic acid was inactive as an adjuvant on immune systems described above, it was active as a mitogen on normal mouse spleen cells.