Augmented immunological activities of recombinant lipopolysaccharide possessing the mannose homopolymer as the O-specific polysaccharide.

Recombinant lipopolysaccharide possessing the mannose homopolymer as the O-specific polysaccharide was manufactured genetically by transforming Escherichia coli K-12 with various rfb genes capable of synthesizing the mannose homopolymer. Recombinant lipopolysaccharide exhibited levels of anticomplement activity, adjuvant activity, and regional lymph node-enlarging activity much higher than those exhibited by the original rough-type lipopolysaccharide from E. coli K-12 or lipopolysaccharide possessing the heteropolysaccharide from E. coli O111. Immunological activities of recombinant lipopolysaccharide were as strong as those of wild-type lipopolysaccharide possessing the mannose homopolymer. Characteristic activities of wild-type lipolysaccharide possessing the mannose homopolymer were exhibited by recombinant lipopolysaccharide. The abilities of lipopolysaccharide to activate B cells polyclonally and to produce cytokines did not seem to be related to the presence of the mannose homopolymer. Therefore, it was suggested that the mannose homopolymer in the O-specific polysaccharide might exclusively enhance anticomplement activity, adjuvant activity, and regional lymph node-enlarging activity among various lipid A activities.