Neisseria meningitidis Lipopolysaccharide Modulates the Specific Humoral Immune Response to Neisserial Porins but Has No Effect on Porin-Induced Upregulation of Costimulatory Ligand B7-2

The role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the specific humoral response to meningococcal porins was investigated by measuring anti-PorA or -PorB antibody levels in mice immunized with wild-type meningococcal strain H44/76 or with its recently described LPS-negative mutant. Two murine strains were used for these immunizations: C3H/HeJ, which is LPS hyporesponsive, or C3H/HeOuJ, which is LPS responsive. A high level of anti-PorB immunoglobulin G (IgG) response was induced in both strains of mice immunized with either organism. The response induced by the wild-type strain was greater in C3H/HeOuJ mice than in C3H/HeJ mice, while the response induced by the LPS-negative mutant was similar in the two murine strains. Additionally, the anti-PorB response was similar in C3H/HeJ mice immunized with either bacterial strain. In general, the anti-PorA IgG response was lower than the anti-PorB response. These findings indicate that the presence of LPS is not essential for the induction of an antineisserial porin humoral response but can augment such a response. To determine whether LPS has any effect on the B-cell-stimulatory effect of neisserial porins (essential for the adjuvant activity of neisserial porins), B cells from both murine strains were incubated with outer membrane complexes (OMCs) prepared from strain H44/76 and its LPS-negative mutant. OMCs from either meningococcal strain were able to increase the surface expression of the costimulatory ligand B7-2 on B cells from either murine strain. Consistent with previously reported findings, LPS does not significantly affect the ability of neisserial porins to induce the costimulatory ligand B7-2.