The fate of E. coli lipopolysaccharide after the uptake of E. coli by murine macrophages in vitro.

The fate of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) after the uptake of Escherichia coli by macrophages in vitro was studied. The LPS of the galactose epimerase-deficient E. coli J5 mutant was specifically radiolabeled with [3H]galactose by growing the organism in a basic salts medium containing galactose. Control bacteria were uniformly radiolabeled by growth in [14C]glucose and unlabeled galactose-containing medium. Surface constituents of E. coli were also labeled with 125I. After in vitro phagocytosis of labeled E. coli by murine peritoneal exudate macrophages, the rate of exocytosis of LPS, as assessed by release of 3H over a 72-hr period, was considerably reduced in comparison with other bacterial constituents (14C and 125I release). The [3H]galactose-labeled material exocytosed from macrophages and that remaining intracellularly (obtained from macrophage lysates) were isolated by cesium chloride (CsCl) density gradients and were shown to have altered density profiles as compared with purified E. coli LPS. The macrophage-"processed" [3H] galactose-containing fractions from CsCl density gradients of culture supernatants or macrophage lysates were capable of clotting Limulus amebocyte lysate. The [3H]galactose material obtained from 48-hr macrophage lysates and culture supernatants could also induce a lethal response in actinomycin D-treated mice. These data suggest that bacterial LPS may be selectively retained by the macrophage and that the post-phagocytic events that result in bacterial degradation are not accompanied by the degradation of LPS. Furthermore, although the LPS may be modified by the macrophage, it retains its biologic activity.