title: Antigenic specificity of the Mycobacterium leprae homologue of ESAT-6.
abstract: The sequence of the Mycobacterium leprae homologue of ESAT-6 shows only 36% amino acid correspondence to that from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Anti-M. leprae ESAT-6 polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and T-cell hybridomas reacted only with the homologous protein and allowed identification of the B- and T-cell epitopes. The protein is expressed in M. leprae and appears in the cell wall fraction. Thus, M. leprae ESAT-6 shows promise as a specific diagnostic agent for leprosy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1677, USA. john.spencer@colostate.edu
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Maria Angela M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Monica C B S
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Junqueira-Kipnis
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Truman
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D007918:Leprosy / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013347:Subcellular Fractions
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C525005:ESAT-6 antigen, Mycobacterium leprae; C093276:ESAT-6 protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins