Immunochemical characterization of a protein associated with Mycobacterium leprae cell wall.

摘要: Abstract A panel of nine monoclonal antibodies to Mycobacterium leprae were used characterize a protein antigen the bacillus. Two (IVD8 and IIIE9) specific for M. reacted with an epitope (CWPa) present on molecule associated cell wall fraction leprae. This protein, designated wall-associated (CWP), lost its immunoreactivity upon treatment trypsin had apparent molecular weight 65,000, though additional lower-molecular-weight forms observed by immunoblotting. Four other cross-reactive epitopes (CWPb, CWPc, CWPd, CWPe) defined same using seven independent antibodies. Therefore, possesses trypsin-sensitive, heat-stable which contains at least one species-specific four antigenic determinants.