title: Epitope mapping of anti-human transferrin monoclonal antibodies: potential uses for transferrin-transferrin receptor interaction studies.
abstract: Human transferrin (hTf) is an 80 kDa glycoprotein involved in iron transport from the absorption sites to the sites of storage and utilization. Additionally, transferrin also plays a relevant role as a bacteriostatic agent preventing uncontrolled bacterial growth in the host. In this work we describe a well-characterized Mabs panel in terms of precise epitope localization and estimate affinity for the two major hTf isoforms. We found at least four antigenic regions in the hTf molecule, narrowed down the interacting antigen residues within three of such regions, and located them on a molecular model of hTf. Two of the antigenic regions partially overlap with previously described transferrin-binding sites for both human receptor (antigenic region I: containing amino acid residues from Asp-69 to Asn-76 at the N-lobe) and bacterial receptors from two pathogenic species (antigenic region III: amino acid residues from Leu-665 to Ser-672 at the C-lobe). Hence, such monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) could be used as an additional tool for conformational studies and/or the characterization of the interaction between hTf and both types of receptor molecules.
authors.affiliation: Meningococcal Department, Vaccine Division, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba.
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Darién
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Osmany
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guirola
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Huerta
authors.forename: Yanet
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Yasmiana
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000737:chemistry; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D003429:Cross Reactions; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D014168:Transferrin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014168:Transferrin