title: Detection of antigenic determinants in the Treponema pallidum membrane protein TmpA using overlapping synthetic peptides.
abstract: The antigenic structure of the 42 kDa membrane protein of Treponema Pallidum, TmpA, was studied using synthetic peptides. Ten overlapping peptides, 35-40 residues each, were synthesized in order to cover the entire sequence of the molecule. The antigenic activity of the fragments was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this way it was possible to demonstrate a significant antigenic activity of four peptides which were reactive with syphilitic sera. The N-terminal fragment TmpA1, 38 residues long, proved to be the most reactive. Its antigenic structure was therefore studied in more detail, by examining shorter fragments. The N-terminal portion of TmpA1, consisting of 19 residues, (ASGAKEEAEKKAAEQRALL) represents an important fragment of the molecule, and was specifically interactive with most of the syphilitic sera examined.
authors.affiliation: Diesse Diagnostica Senese Srl, Monteriggioni (Siena), Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: dal Maso
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soldatini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cocola
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000939:Epitopes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C098083:TmpA protein, Treponema pallidum