title: Immunogenicity and evolutionary variability of epitopes within IgA1 protease from serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis.
abstract: Five murine epitopes were defined and mapped within IgA1 protease produced by Neisseria meningitidis. Epitopes 1 and 2 were present in IgA1 protease from all strains, and from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Epitopes 3 through to 5 varied between subgroups of serogroup A meningococci, but have remained constant over decades within the subgroups, except for epitope 4, which changed between 1983 and 1987 during the spread of subgroup III meningococci from Asia to Africa. Binding of monoclonal antibodies to epitopes 1, 4 and 5 neutralized enzymatic function. Human sera containing antibodies to IgA1 protease as a result of natural infection inhibited binding of monoclonal antibodies to epitope 4 but not to the other epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institut für molekulare Genetik, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Valle
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lammel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pohlner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koumaré
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brieske
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000940:Antigenic Variation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D005075:Biological Evolution; D000939:Epitopes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000201:enzymology; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D012703:Serotyping
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C021433:IgA-specific serine endopeptidase