# HOST RESPONSE TO GONOCOCCAL PEPTIDOGLYCAN

> **NIH NIH R01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 1987 · $124,030

## Abstract

Peptidoglycan (PG), a macromolecule unique to bacterial cell walls, has long
been known for its role in maintenance of bacterial integrity.  More recently it
has been recognized that, given the opportunity to interact with host cells, PG
and soluble PG fragments appear to possess a propensity to augment host immune
responses and inflammatory reactions.  The potential for in vivo interaction
between PG derived from Neisseria gonorrhoeae and host tissues appears to be
particularly great.  Of particular interest is that gonococci exhibit extensive
turnover of PG during exponential growth and shed the soluble PG fragments into
the medium, a very unusual characteristic among gram-negative bacteria.  We are
testing the hypothesis that soluble fragments of gonococcal PG contribute to the
inflammatory response and to tissue damage associated with gonococcal
infections, e.g., the arthritis syndrome of disseminated gonococcal infections.
We are addressing this problem by (1) chemically characterizing gonococcal PG
fragments that might gain direct assess to host cells in vivo, (2) examining the
ability of PG fragments to initiate in vitro reactions associated with
inflammation and tissue damage, and (3) correlating the presence of PG and
anti-PG antibody with clinical forms of gonococcal infections.  Our previous
results have indicated that the PG fragments released by growing gonococci are
very unusual in that they possess non-reducing, 1,6-anhydro-muramyl ends.  In
addition, we have found that various gonococcal PG derivatives do initiate in
vitro reactions that are associated with inflammation, e.g., react with antibody
in "normal" human sera and in hyperimmune rabbit sera, consume complement, and
possess intrinsic toxicity for human fallopian tube organ cultures.  Building on
these data, the current proposal emphasizes (1) the possible role of the novel
anhydro-muramyl-containing fragments (and other PG fragments) in influencing the
consequences of gonococcal infections, (2) assessment of PG release by gonococci
grown under various "physiologically-relevant" conditions, and (3) definition of
the structural requirements of PG-mediated biological activities.  We feel that
the postulated role of PG in gonococcal infections might also operate in other
destructive inflammatory conditions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3125894
- **Project number:** 5R01AI014826-10
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **SAM.gov UEI:** SHHBRBAPSM35
- **Principal Investigator:** RAOUL S ROSENTHAL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $124,030
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1978-04-01 → 1988-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3125894

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3125894, HOST RESPONSE TO GONOCOCCAL PEPTIDOGLYCAN (5R01AI014826-10). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3125894. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*