DEFINITION OF SPECIES-SPECIFIC AND CROSS-REACTIVE ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS OF MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE USING MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (3) , 528-536
Abstract
Four soluble antigens of M. leprae were identified using 12 murine monoclonal antibodies. Their specificity, taxonomic distribution and molecular nature were analyzed by radioimmunoassays and by immunoblotting from polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels. A protein antigen MY1 (12K) reacted with 1 antibody (ML06) without demonstrable cross-reactivity for any of the other 20 tested species of mycobacteria. Another 4 antibodies which identified antigen MY2 revealed only a marginal degree of cross-reactivity with 3 other species of mycobacteria. Two antigens shared by several other mycobacteria species were:MY3 represented by 5 protein bands (35-70K) and a subtilisin resistant molecule MY4 (40-50K) with 2 distinct determinants and presumably of polysaccharide nature. The described monoclonal antibodies may represent novel valuable diagnostic reagents and tools for the purification of antigens which could be explored towards prophylactic or therapeutic immunization against leprosy.