title: Structural and antigenic analysis of meningococcal piliation.
abstract: Pilin with an Mr of 16,500 was purified to homogeneity from Neisseria meningitidis SP3428. Procedures which provided useful separation during purification included high-pressure liquid chromatography with a TSK size exclusion column, Sephacryl S-200 column chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography with SP-Sephadex, and preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The amino acid composition of this pilin was similar to that previously reported for this species. The sequence of N-terminal 51 amino acids was also determined. The protein lacked a modified phenylalanine at the amino terminus and displayed six residues which were different from Neisseria gonorrhoeae in that region of the molecule determined to be the lectin-binding domain. Monoclonal antibody raised to this pilin was employed, along with a monoclonal antibody to an epitope common to all gonococcal pilins, to analyze the intra- and interstrain heterogeneity of meningococcal piliation. The results indicate that N. meningitidis displays considerable intra- and interstrain heterogeneity with respect to both pilus subunit size and antigenicity. The Mr of subunits ranged from 13,000 to 20,000.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Olafson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Dooley
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heckels
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Trust
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins