Surface immunolabeling of Neisseria gonorrhoeae employing monoclonal antibodies to proteins IA and IB.
The technique of immunomarking intact bacteria with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) and gold-labeled anti-IgG provides a rapid and reliable method for localization of surface-exposed antigens. Cell suspensions of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were incubated with monoclonal antibodies directed against different epitopes of protein I as shown by ELISA inhibition test (unpublished data). The bound IgG molecules were detected with gold labeled anti-mouse IgG or protein A. MAbs against various epitopes of protein I showed differences in their reaction pattern with intact bacteria. We compared the results achieved by the gold immunomarking technique with coagglutination (CoA) and immunofluorescence (IF) tests. The results of the three methods correlated for some antibodies and were ambiguous for other MAbs. The advantage of the immunogold method over immunofluorescence and coagglutination is that distribution and localization of antigen on the surface of gonococci can be exactly determined using electron microscopy.
D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins