Molecular mimicry by Mycoplasma pneumoniae to evade the induction of adherence inhibiting antibodies.
Specific regions of adherence binding sites and epitopes of the P1 adhesin of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were synthesised as octapeptides and used as targets in a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Acute phase and convalescent sera from 10 patients with M. pneumoniae infection were tested for antibody reactivity to these octapeptides. In convalescent sera, antibody activities were directed against octapeptides of the epitope regions, whereas no antibody activity was found in acute or convalescent sera to octapeptides of adherence-mediating binding sites could be explained partially from the results of cross-reactivity experiments with adherence-inhibiting anti-P1 adhesin monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Two of these MAbs showed cross-reactions with intracellular antigens of eukaryotic cell lines in immunofluorescence microscopy experiments. The cross-reacting antigens were isolated and characterised as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and 2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolyase. Antigenic mimicry of eukaryotic structures by functional sites of the P1 adhesin of M. pneumoniae may influence the pathogenesis of M. pneumoniae infection.
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001665:Binding Sites; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000276:immunology; D011019:Pneumonia, Mycoplasma / Q000276:immunology*
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D009842:Oligopeptides; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase