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R P Boulanger

Publications and source records attributed to R P Boulanger.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1977

Induction of antituberculous immunity by polysaccharidic contaminants of crude ribosomal vaccines isolated from Mycobacterium bovis, strain BCG.

Crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain of Mycobacterium bovis are capable of inducing antituberculous immunity in CF-1 mice. These crude preparations contain varying amounts of polysaccharides in addition to ribosomal ribonucleic acid and proteins. Whereas these latter two constituents of the crude fractions were found inactive, high levels of antituberculous immunity were induced by a ribosomal sub-fraction significantly enriched with polysaccharides. These results strongly suggest that polysaccharides play an important role in the induction of antituberculous immunity in CF-1 mice immunized with crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain and that if ribosomal proteins and/or RNA are of a certain importance, their role would be secondary (complexes providing physical support to polysaccharides, adjuvant, etc.).

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Preservation of mycobacterial suspensions at -55 degrees C.

Suspensions in dilute Sauton's medium of 14 mycobacterial strains grown under identical conditions were prepared with bacilli harvested at their midlog phase of growth,and were frozen and stored at -55 degrees C. Survivals, estimated by CFU determinations after periodic intervals of storage, showed no adverse effect of freezing and thawing on any of the strains. Effectiveness of preservation, however, varied from strain to strain and no correlation existed between effectiveness and species of mycobacteria. No noticeable changes in the virulence of the H37Rv strain and in the immunizing activity of BCG were detected after prolonged storeage. Results of experimentsperformed with two strains suspended in seven diluents suggest that some are more suitable for long-term preservation, particularly so for the more sensitive one.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Factors affecting the immunizing activity of ribosomal fractions isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis strain BCG.

Levels of antituberculous immunity similar to those induced by live BCG vaccine were detected in CF1 mice immunized with ribosomal fractions isolated from Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis, strain BCG, and challenged 3 weeks later with the virulent H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. hominis. The activity of the crude ribosomal preparations was found to be a function of the immunizing doses and the immunity induced by 1.0-mg doses remained at the same high level after 4 weeks of storage at 4 degrees C but decreased markedly thereafter. Dialysis and lyophilization had no detrimental effects on the activity of the crude preparations whereas purification by column chromatography on Sephadex G-200 annihilated their biological activity. Crude low-polysaccharide-containing preparations were found inactive even at the 1.0-mg dose level and results of experiments performed with crude ribosomal fractions of varying polysaccharide contents strongly suggest that polysaccharides, or RNA-polysaccharide complexes, may play an important role in the induction of immunity with crude ribosomal fractions isolated from the BCG strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis.

Animals↗