title: Monoclonal antibodies against conserved epitopes of a 46-kDa protein from Neisseria meningitidis.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against conserved epitopes of B meningococcus which could be applicable to the immunoscreening of bacterial meningitis. Three mAbs reactive to a 46-kDa protein conserved in eight sero-groups and several sero(sub)types of Neisseria meningitidis were selected for the present study. No reaction was detected with whole-cell lysates of Staphylococcus aureus. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b or Escherichia coli. Two of these mAbs recognized 46-kDa epitopes in four other Neisseria spp, and the third, MC3.13, cross-reacted only with N. lactamica. All mAbs reacted with whole-cell lysates from a N. meningitidis mutant strain lacking the class 1 outer membrane protein (43-47 kDa). Immunoelectron microscopy revealed a cytoplasmic location for the 46-kDa protein. The MC3.13 monoclonal antibody is potentially applicable to a rapid screening of bacterial meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Imunologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Schuch
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Carbonare
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van der Ley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roholl
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Poolman
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Moreira-Filho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000939:Epitopes