A major immunogenic 36,000-molecular-weight antigen from Mycobacterium leprae contains an immunoreactive region of proline-rich repeats.
The 36,000-molecular-weight antigen (36K antigen) of Mycobacterium leprae is a major immunogenic protein carrying common and specific antigenic determinants recognized by antibodies and T cells in leprosy patients. Recombinant DNA clones containing the complete gene coding for the 36 K antigen, designated in this paper as PRA, were isolated from both lambda gt11 and cosmid libraries of the M. leprae genome. The DNA sequence of the pra gene coded for a polypeptide of 249 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 26,299 daltons. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed a proline-rich (42%) amino-terminal region containing a number of repeated sequences similar or identical to the sequence PGGSYPPPPP. The reactivity of four monoclonal antibodies (F47-9, F67-1, F67-5, and F126-5) was directed to this proline-rich region of the PRA protein. DNA sequence and immunological data indicated that the lambda gt11 recombinant Y3180, which was previously isolated by using antibody F47-9 (R. A. Young, V. Mehra, D. Sweetser, T. Buchanan, J. Clark-Curtiss, R. W. Davis, and B. R. Bloom, Nature (London) 316:450-452, 1985), specifies a fusion protein unrelated to PRA but containing a similar epitope recognized by F47-9.
N. H. Swellengrebel Laboratory of Tropical Hygiene, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J E
JE
Thole
L F
LF
Stabel
M E
ME
Suykerbuyk
M Y
MY
De Wit
P R
PR
Klatser
A H
AH
Kolk
R A
RA
Hartskeerl
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D000939:Epitopes; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D011392:Proline; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012882:Skin Tests
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011392:Proline