title: Identification of an immunoglobulin A binding motif located in the beta-antigen of the c protein complex of group B streptococci.
abstract: The beta-antigen of the c protein complex of group B streptococci contains two immunoglobulin A (IgA)-binding domains called A and B. A 73-amino-acid segment in domain A is responsible for most of the IgA-binding activity. To identify the IgA binding motif, the 73-amino-acid domain was divided into 60 14-amino-acid overlapping peptides spot synthesized onto a cellulose membrane. A 20-residue putative antigenic epitope was identified and expressed as a fusion protein. The fusion protein was purified by fast protein liquid chromatography and used to raise rabbit antiserum. By use of a membrane with spot-synthesized peptide amino acids of decreasing length (from 14 to 6 amino acids), the major antigenic epitope recognized by the anti-fusion protein antibodies was mapped to motif MLKKIE. Anti-fusion protein antibodies inhibited the binding of IgA to group B streptococci. This inhibition could be blocked by the peptide containing the motif MLKKIE. These results indicate that the motif MLKKIE is located in the IgA-binding site. The IgA-binding domain of beta-antigen from three group B streptococcal strains reacted with the anti-fusion protein antibodies, and their coding sequences gave positive signals in Southern hybridization. The sequences of beta-antigen from these strains were amplified by PCR, and sequence analysis showed them to be identical. The results indicate that the motif MLKKIE is required for IgA binding and is present in different group B streptococcal strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Technical University/GBF-National Research Centre for Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Jerlström
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Talay
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valentin-Weigand
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Timmis
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Chhatwal
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins