title: Heterogeneity among strains and a high rate of variation within strains of a major surface antigen of Mycoplasma pulmonis.
abstract: Monoclonal and monospecific antibodies were used to characterize a major Mycoplasma pulmonis surface antigen complex, V-1. Heterogeneity of V-1 was detected among strains and a high frequency of variation was detected within subclones of single strains. Analysis of 18 different strains showed that no two displayed identical electrophoretic immunoblot patterns for V-1. Analysis of 50 filter clones from an individual strain (not previously filter cloned) revealed at least 10 different V-1 patterns. The two most frequently occurring patterns were expressed by 36% and 24%, respectively, of the total population. Serial subcloning (four separate series) of several of these original clones showed that the average rate of V-1 variation was 2 x 10(-3) per cell per generation. Immunoblots with different anti-V-1 monoclonal antibodies demonstrated that there were both structurally and antigenically different forms of this antigen. Also, two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel analyses showed that different forms of V-1 could vary in charge. This potential for variability in a major surface antigen of mycoplasmas could have important implications as to how the organism interacts with its host.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: McDaniel
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Blalock
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fallon
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Cassell
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000940:Antigenic Variation; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001426:Bacterial Proteins