Demonstration of a flagellar antigen shared by a diverse group of spiral-shaped bacteria that colonize intestinal mucus.
Western blot analysis showed that there is little immunological cross-reactivity of the human pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli with Campylobacter pyloridis, except for a very strong cross-reaction between the flagellins. This same antigenic cross-reaction was found with two isolates of gram-negative spiral microaerophilic bacteria that are known to colonize the intestinal mucosa of rodents, but not with the flagellins of a number of other motile bacteria. It is proposed that this shared flagellin antigen may be important structurally and functionally.
D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002168:Campylobacter fetus / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions; D005407:Flagella / Q000276:immunology*; D005408:Flagellin / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D051379:Mice / Q000382:microbiology; D009093:Mucus / Q000382:microbiology; D013045:Species Specificity
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005408:Flagellin