In vivo immunomodulation by Mycoplasma fermentans membrane lipoprotein

The immunomodulatory effects of Mycoplasma fermentans-derived membrane lipoprotein (LAMPf) in BALB/c mice were examined. When injected intraperitoneally into mice, LAMPf induced a transitory splenomegaly followed by a suppression of the spleen cell proliferation in response to concanavalin A, whereas responses to lipopolysaccharide and to LAMPf were unchanged. The intravenous injection of a large dose of LAMPf induced leukopenia and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activity in serum. A synthetic analogue of its N-terminal lipopeptide with ability to activate macrophages (MALP-2) was also able to induce GM-CSF in serum. Interestingly, GM-CSF induction by a low dose of MALP-2 was not associated with significant leukopenia. These data revealed that the in vitro moduline properties of mycoplasmal lipoproteins and lipopeptides correlate with interesting in vivo immunomodulatory effects.