title: Immunodominance of conformation-dependent B-cell epitopes of protein antigens.
abstract: Immunodominance of conformational epitopes over linear ones in four proteins was quantified making use of the B-cell hybridoma technology. The proteins were immunized in their native forms into BALB/c mice, and clonal frequencies of B-cell hybridomas that produce antibodies to the native and denatured forms were determined, using ELISA and immunoblotting. All 16 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbria were suggested to recognize conformational epitopes expressed by the oligomer. Ten out of 14 mAbs to Serratia marcescens fimbria and 13 of 15 mAbs to hen lysozyme were also specific to their conformational epitopes. In contrast, all 18 mAbs to a surface protein of Streptococcus mutans, termed PAc, reacted to both the native and denatured forms, thereby indicating the immunodominance of linear epitopes in this protein. The results suggest that B-cell epitopes of proteins possessing stable tertiary or quaternary structures are predominantly expressed by the higher-order structures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Dentistry, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan. dearkids@dentb.hal.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiro O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D006825:Hybridomas; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009113:Muramidase / Q000737:chemistry; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000378:metabolism; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D009113:Muramidase