title: Outer membrane antigens of oral Treponema species.
abstract: Outer membrane (OM) antigens of several oral treponemes were studied. SDS-PAGE revealed a 56-58-kDa protein as a major component of isolated OM vesicles. Immunoblot analysis with eluted antibodies prepared from Treponema denticola ATCC 33520 recognised the 56-58-kDa protein, which was highly conserved in the 17 T. denticola strains tested. The protein was also a component of a T. denticola desoxycholate-extractable, ethanol-soluble antigen (DES-Ag) but was not present in T. pectinovorum or T. vincentii ATCC 35580 and strain N9 whole-cell lysates. Electronmicroscopy of OM vesicles showed typical treponemal ultrastructure. Immunogold labelling of T. denticola ATCC 33520 with T. denticola ATCC 33520-specific eluted antibodies recognised only the OM surface of the cell. These results suggest that the 56-58-kDa antigen comprises surface-orientated epitopes and that this antigen may be specific for T. denticola.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore 21201.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Tall
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Nauman
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D014208:Treponema / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins