title: Outer membrane proteins as major antigens of Fusobacterium nucleatum.
abstract: The immunochemical reactions of rabbit polyclonal antibodies directed to different preparations of Fusobacterium nucleatum i.e, whole cells, peptidoglycan associated proteins, a peptidoglycan-protein complex and a purified 40 kiloDalton (kDa) protein, were investigated on outer membrane preparations of Fusobacterium species and a restricted number of Leptotrichia buccalis after their separation on sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gels and electrotransfer to nitrocellulose. All F. nucleatum strains had identical reaction patterns with the immune sera tested. Surface exposed parts of a restricted number of proteins with apparent molecular weights at 70 kDa (a doublet band), 60 kDa, 55 kDa and 40 kDa seemed to be major immunogens. Antigenic related proteins either of identical or slightly deviating electrophoretic mobilities to the 40-kDa protein were observed with the other members of Bacteroidaceae tested. The characteristic 70-kDa protein doublet seemed to be restricted to F. nucleatum although single protein bands of near identical molecular weights belonging to the other species tested also reacted. The data also indicate that the 60-kDa and 55-kDa polypeptides might be present in other species of Fusobacterium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aarø
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hofstad
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Vasstrand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005673:Fusobacterium / Q000276:immunology*; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D007106:Immune Sera; D010457:Peptidoglycan