Monoclonal antibodies to a 28,000 mol. wt protein antigen of Mycobacterium leprae.
Monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) have been used to analyse a protein antigen from Mycobacterium leprae with a subunit mol. wt of 28,000 daltons. Three different patterns of species specificity were observed with two antibodies being specific for M. leprae, two partially specific, and one broadly cross-reactive amongst all mycobacteria. Competitive binding and sandwich assays demonstrated that the specific and partially specific antibodies recognized closely related regions of the molecule while the cross-reactive antibody recognized a spatially separate epitope on the same polypeptide chain. Identification of specific and cross-reactive epitopes on a single antigenic molecule may be of considerable importance for understanding the functioning of the cell-mediated immune system during leprosy infection and the use of MoAb for such analyses is discussed.
D B
DB
Young
M J
MJ
Fohn
S R
SR
Khanolkar
T M
TM
Buchanan
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G