title: Selection of phage-displayed superantigen by binding to cell-surface MHC class II.
abstract: We have expressed the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) on the surface of bacteriophage as a fusion with the gene VIII protein (gVIIIp). This phage-displayed superantigen retains the properties inherent in the natural protein. It binds to MHC class II and activates T-cells bearing appropriate V beta regions. A flexible 5-amino acid linker sequence between the SEA molecule and the phage coat protein improved the production of functional phage-displayed SEA. Binding to MHC class II-expressing cells effectively selected SEA-phage from non-SEA-phage background. This indicates that this will be an effective method for selecting new specificities of superantigen from libraries of SEA mutants and for cloning of novel superantigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wung
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Gascoigne
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001435:Bacteriophages; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011817:Rabbits; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018089:Superantigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D018089:Superantigens; C026066:enterotoxin A, Staphylococcal