Selection and determination of specific and protective antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
OBJECTIVE
To select and identify the specific and protective antigens of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) for searching a new approach to diagnose and treat tuberculosis.


METHODS
Extract and culture filtrates of M. tuberculosis were obtained by ultrasonic treatment and millipore membrane filtration, respectively. The protein samples were tested with monoclonal antibody (MAb) and patient sera. The proteins showing positive reaction were sequenced on Beckman/LF 3200/peptide amino acid sequencer.


RESULTS
Proteins of M. tuberculosis with molecular weight of 31 ku and 30 ku showed positive results when reacted with anti-M. tuberculosis MAb and sera of tuberculosis patients, but not with normal mouse serum and healthy human sera. N-terminal sequences of the 31 ku and 30 ku antigen were Ala Glu Val Asp Trp Leu Val Phe Ala Val and Phe Ser Arg Pro Gly Leu Pro Val Glu Try respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
31 ku and 30 ku proteins of M. tuberculosis are immune protective proteins. They play important or dominant roles in determination of immunorecognization.
Wang
H
H
Institute of Genetics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Liu
W
W
Chen
P
P
Hu
W
W
Zhuang
Y
Y
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D000939:Epitopes