[Polypeptide and phospholipid composition of the Rickettsia prowazekii membrane and its immunogenic properties]

The composition of the cell membrane in R. prowazekii strain Breinl has been studied by the methods of electrophoresis in 7.5% polyacrylamide gel with 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, iodination with Na125I in the presence of chloramine T or lactoperoxidase and the thin-layer chromatography of the common lipid fraction. Of six major polypeptides contained in whole rickettsial particles (3, 16, 26, 27, 28, 29), five polypeptides (3, 26, 27, 28, 29) making up 54% of all polypeptides of purified rickettsiae have been detected in membrane preparations obtained by either treatment. The molecular weights of these membrane polypeptides are, respectively, 133600, 34000, 29600, 21500 and 12400 daltons. The main membrane phospholipids are phosphatidylethanolamine (68.4%), phosphatidylglycerol (17.2%), phosphatidylcholine (5.1%) and cardiolipin (2.1%). The presence of cholesterol has also been established. The preparations of R. prowazekii membranes and individual membrane polypeptides are immunogenic and induce the formation of specific antibodies in white mice. The preparations of both membranes and surface polypeptide 3 (glycoprotein) have been found to possess a certain protective activity: the effect of the protection of white mice inoculated with R. prowazekii culture has proved to be 64%.