Antibodies to Acholeplasma laidlawii membrane lipids in normal guinea pig serum.

Acholeplasma laidlawii is killed and lysed by fresh normal guinea pig serum (GPS) without additional antibodies. Prior incubation of GPS with whole A. laidlawii organisms abolishes the killing activity of GPS. In the present study it was demonstrated that antibodies are present in normal GPS. The classical pathway, not the alternative pathway, of the complement sequence was activated by these antibodies in fresh normal GPS. The antibodies in GPS belong to the IgG class of immunoglobulins. They are directed predominantly against the membrane phospholipids of A. laidlawii. These antibodies may be induced either by natural infection of guinea pigs with A. laidlawii or by antigenic determinants of other microorganisms of food antigens.