1. An LPS extraction composition comprising water, an alcohol and a further organic solvent.
2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the LPS extraction composition is single-phase.
3. The composition of claims 1 or 2 wherein the amount of water in the LPS extraction composition is between about 0.1 and about 1.5% (vv).
4. The composition of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the amount of water is about 1% (vv).
5. The composition of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the amount of water is about 0.5% (vv).
6. The composition of any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the alcohol is selected from the list: methanol, ethanol, isopropanol or butanol.
7. The composition of any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the percentage of alcohol in the LPS extraction composition is between about 5% and about 40% (vv).
8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the percentage of alcohol is between about 10% (vv) and about 30% (vv).
9. The composition of any preceding claim wherein the further organic solvent is selected from the group: chloroform, alkanes, toluene and petroleum ether.
10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the alkane is selected from the group: isooctane, ethane, heptane and hexane.
11. The composition of any preceding claim wherein the percentage of the further organic solvent in the LPS extraction composition is between about 60% (vv) and about 95% (vv).
12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the percentage of the further organic solvent is between about 75% (vv) and about 90% (vv).
13. The composition of any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the LPS extraction solution comprises chloroform, methanol and water.
14. The composition of any of claims 1 to 12 wherein the LPS extraction composition comprises an alkane, ethanol and water.
15. A composition according to any of claims 1 to 14 for use in the extraction of LPS from gram negative bacterial cells.
16. Use of an LPS extraction composition according to any of claims 1 to 14 in a method for extracting LPS from gram negative bacterial cells.
17. A method of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extraction from gram negative bacterial cells comprising the step, extracting LPS from the cells in an LPS extraction composition according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the extraction of LPS is performed at a temperature of between about 35\xb0 C. and about 65\xb0 C.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the temperature is between about 45\xb0 C. and about 55\xb0 C.
20. The method of claim 18 or 19 wherein the temperature is about 50\xb0 C.
21. The method of any of claims 16 to 20 wherein LPS extraction is performed at a pH of between 7.8 and 9.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the pH is about 8.6.
23. The method of any of claims 16 to 22 wherein the LPS extraction is performed in about 1 to about 30 hours.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the LPS extraction is performed in about 0.5 to about 20 hours.
25. The method of claim 23 or 24 wherein the LPS extraction is performed for about 1 hour.
26. The method of any of claims 16 to 25 further comprising the steps:
i. Washing cells with a solution of ethanol or ethanol; and optionally
ii. Washing cells a second time with ethanol or methanol.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein cell are washed in i) andor ii) with a solution of between about 75 and about 95% ethanol or methanol (vv).
28. The method of claim 26 or 27 wherein the cells in step i) are washed in a solution of about 85% (vv) ethanol or methanol.
29. The method of claim 26 or 27 wherein cells are washed in step ii) with a solution of about 90% (vv) ethanol or methanol.
30. The method of any of claims 16 to 29 further comprising the step: washing cells with a solution of methanol.
31. The method of any of claims 16 to 30 further comprising the step: evaporating the water, alcohol and further organic solvent from the LPS solution, thereby yielding a dry LPS residue.
32. The method of any of claims 16 to 31 wherein the bacterial cell is that of a deep rough mutant bacterial strain of Salmonella or Escherichia.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein the bacterial cells are that of Escherichia coli.
34. The method of claim 32 wherein the bacterial cells are that of Salmonella minnesota.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein the bacterial cells are that of Salmonella minnesota R595.
36. An LPS composition produced by the methods of any of claims 16 to 35.
37. The method of any of claims 16 to 35 further comprising the step: subjecting the LPS to sequential acid hydrolysis and base hydrolysis, to form 3D-MPL.
38. A 3D-MPL composition produced by the method of claim 37.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A connector assembly, comprising:
a first connector (10) and a second connector (40) connectable with each other along a connecting directions (CD);
a slider (30) linearly movable on the first connector (10) between an initial position and a connection position in a moving direction (MD) aligned at an angle to the connecting directions (CD) of the two connectors (10, 40);
cam means (34; 42) between the slider (30) and the second connector (40) for connecting the first and second connectors (10, 40) as the slider (30) is moved from the initial position toward the connection position;
a detecting member (39) displaceable between a standby position and a detection position; and
a movement detecting means (37; 38) for keeping the detecting member (39) at the standby position before the slider (30) reaches the connection position and permitting a displacement of the detecting member (39) to the detection position only after the slider (30) reaches the connection position.
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the cam means (34; 42) comprises:
a cam groove (34) provided in one (30) of the slider (30) and the second connector (40) and extending in a direction oblique to both the moving direction (MD) of the slider (30) and the connecting directions (CD) of the connectors (10, 40); and
a cam pin (42) provided on the other (40) of the slider (30) and the second connector (40) and engageable with the cam groove (34).
3. The connector of claim 1, wherein:
the slider (30) is formed with a recess (38), and when the slider (30) reaches the connection position, the recess (38) aligns substantially with the detecting member (39) and the detecting member (39) fits into the recess (38).
4. The connector of claim 3, wherein before the slider (30) reaches the connection position, the recess (38) is not aligned with the detecting member (39) and the detecting member located at the standby position interferes with the slider (30), thereby preventing the displacement thereof to the detection position.
5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the detecting member (39) is on the first connector (10).
6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the detecting member (39) is provided at such a position that an operable portion (32) of the slider (30) is near the detecting member (39) when the slider (30) is moved to the connection position.
7. A connector assembly, comprising:
a first connector (10; 50) and a second connector (40; 80) connectable with each other by movement along a connecting direction (CD);
a lever (20; 60) rotatably provided on the first connector (10; 50);
a slider (30; 70; 130) slidably movable on the first connector (10; 50) along a moving direction (MD) intersecting connecting direction (CD);
a cam pin (42; 82) on the second connector (40; 80);
linking means (24, 33; 64, 73; 124, 133) on the lever (30; 70) and the slider (30; 70; 130) for linking rotation of the lever (20; 60) with sliding movement of the slider (30; 70; 130); and
a cam groove (34; 63) on one of the lever (20; 60) and the slider (30; 70; 130) and engageable with the cam pin (42; 82) to display cam action in response to either of a rotation the lever (20; 60) and a sliding of the slider (30; 70; 130).
8. The connector of claim 7, wherein a rotating direction (RD) of the lever (20; 60) and the sliding direction (MD) of the slider (30; 70; 130) are substantially opposite.
9. A lever-type connector assembly, comprising:
a first connector (10) having a lever (20) rotatably supported thereon,
a second connector (40) connectable with the first connector (10),
a cam functioning means (39) for connecting the two connectors (10, 40) by the cam action of a cam groove (34) and a cam pin (42) as the lever (20) is rotated, wherein the cam functioning means (39) comprises:
a linking member (130) relatively displaceable with respect to the first connector (10) while being linked with a connecting operation of the connectors (10, 40), and
a projection (124) projecting at the outer periphery of the lever (20) and engageable with the linking member (130), wherein the cam action of the cam groove (34) and the cam pin (42) is displayed while the linking member (130) is displaced with respect to the first connector (10) as the lever (30) is rotated with the projection (124) engaging the linking member (130).
10. The connector assembly the claim 9, wherein the linking member (130) includes the cam groove (34).
11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the linking member (130) is supported on the first connector (10) for sliding movement in a direction (MD) intersecting with a connecting direction (CD) of the first connector (10) with the second connector (40).
12. The connector assembly of claim 11, wherein the cam pin (42) is on the second connector (40).
13. The connector assembly of claim 12, wherein the linking member (130) includes an engaging portion (133) engageable with the projection (124) such that the projection (124) is movable together with the linking member (130).
14. The connector assembly of claim 13, wherein the lever (20) is rotatably supported on the first connector (10) by the engagement of an oblong hole (123) and a shaft (17).
15. The connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the linking member (130) includes a sliding portion (132) for sliding the linking member (130).