Repertoires of antibodies to culture filtrate antigens in different mouse strains infected with Mycobacterium bovis BCG.
Two susceptible (Bcgs) mouse strains, BALB/c and C57BL/6, were compared by Western blot (immunoblot) analysis for their immunoglobulin G response to 14-day-old BCG culture filtrate (CF) following intravenous infection with live Mycobacterium bovis BCG. The two strains demonstrated a completely different antibody repertoire. BALB/c antibodies were directed against a wide range of CF antigens between 20 and about 100 kilodaltons (kDa), with a preferential recognition of the 65-kDa heat shock protein and the 32-kDa fibronectin-binding protein. C57BL/6 sera, on the other hand, showed a much more restricted antibody pattern, almost exclusively directed against three antigens with estimated molecular sizes of 37, 38, and 40 kDa. Whereas the 37- and 38-kDa antigens were also recognized by BALB/c mice, the 40-kDa antigen was very intensely stained by C57BL/6 sera only. F1 mice had the restricted antibody pattern of C57BL/6 after one injection of BCG and had a hybrid BALB/c-C57BL/6 phenotype following a boost injection of BCG 2 months after the initial infection. Analysis of seven recombinant inbred strains derived from the BALB/c x C57BL/6 cross and of congenic mice differing in major histocompatibility complex-coding chromosome 17 fragments suggests that a gene in the K-IA region of the H-2 locus is associated with the preferential recognition of certain CF antigens. Inoculation with the same dose of killed BCG failed to elicit an antibody response to these filtrate antigens.
Pasteur Institute of Brabant, Brussels, Belgium.
K
K
Huygen
L
L
Ljungqvist
R
R
ten Berg
J P
JP
Van Vooren
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003470:Culture Media; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000276:immunology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D003470:Culture Media; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G