Characterization of antigenic determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi shared by other bacteria.
Three antigenic determinants of Borrelia burgdorferi that were shared with other spirochetes and gram-negative bacterial species, as measured by Western blot, ELISA, or both, were identified and characterized using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Two were associated with immunogenic integral membrane lipoproteins of 19- and 22-kDa, respectively, by [3H]palmitate incorporation and Triton X-114 phase partitioning. A third antigenic determinant was shown to be associated with a 72-kDa heat shock protein that was also immunogenic in human patients. MAb agglutination assays with B. burgdorferi and treatment of the spirochete with proteases indicated that none of the antigenic determinants were surface exposed. NH2-terminal sequence analysis revealed the 72-kDa protein to have 100% identity with the first 13 amino acid residues of the Escherichia coli dnaK heat shock protein. The presence of these and other shared antigenic determinants in ELISA antigen preparations could explain the high degree of serologic cross-reactivity in current diagnostic procedures.
State of New York Department of Health, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794.
J L
JL
Coleman
J L
JL
Benach
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*; D014208:Treponema / Q000276:immunology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera