Immunization with major outer membrane protein (porin) preparations in experimental murine salmonellosis: effect of lipopolysaccharide.

A crude major outer membrane (porin) preparation, obtained from a rough strain of Salmonella typhimurium earlier shown to be protective both in active and passive immunization of mice against challenge with smooth S. typhimurium, was further purified. Removal of the main impurities, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoprotein, was accompanied by loss of protective capacity in passive immunization experiments. Reconstitution with rough LPS restored the protective capacity. Protection was, however, concluded not to be due to anti-LPS, because a large fraction of the anti-LPS antibodies could be removed from the protective rabbit antiserum with an LPS immunosorbent without loss of protection.