Adjuvant activities of chemically modified water-soluble substances from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Water-soluble peptidoglycan fragments extracted from the cells of two strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. hominis were chemically conjugated with lauric or with palmitic acid. The coupling reaction was confirmed by physicochemical procedures. The native and the fatty acid-conjugated substances were studied for their adjuvant activity in the induction of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in guinea-pigs and on the production of circulating antibodies in the rabbit. Palmitic acid conjugation of one of the substances increased its adjuvanticity on DTH in the presence of mineral oil; lauric or palmitic acid conjugation rendered the substances adjuvant-active on DTH in the absence of mineral oil. Lauric acid, but not palmitic acid conjugation conferred on both substances an adjuvant activity on antibody production in the absence of mineral oil. Furthermore, lauric acid conjugation of one of the substances led to the appearance of an in vitro mitogen-like activity for murine spleen lymphocytes. In conclusion, fatty acid conjugation exerted a significant modifying effect on the immuno-potentiating activities of these peptidoglycan fragments, and such a chemical procedure may lead to the development of substances exerting a full adjuvant activity without the need of injecting them in an oily vehicle.