title: Cloning and sequencing of the gene for alpha antigen from Mycobacterium avium and mapping of B-cell epitopes.
abstract: The complete nucleotide sequence of alpha antigen secreted from Mycobacterium avium (A-alpha) was determined. The gene encodes 330 amino acids, including 40 amino acids for the signal peptide, followed by 290 amino acids for the mature protein with a molecular mass of 30,811 Da. This is the first sequence of A-alpha. Comparisons between A-alpha and alpha antigens of Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and Mycobacterium kansasii showed highly homologous regions which suggested a conserved functional domain and two less-homologous regions. Serological analysis of recombinant A-alpha, expressed by a series of deletion constructs, indicated the possibility that A-alpha carries at least six B-cell epitopes. The three antigenic determinants were common to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. kansasii, and M. avium. The results also suggested the possibility that there are three species-specific epitopes.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Nagasaki University, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tasaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D000939:Epitopes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D000939:Epitopes; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C052242:alpha antigens, Mycobacterium