Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Infect. Immun., Jul 1997, 2668-2675, Vol 65, No. 7
R Bhushan, C Kirkham, S Sethi and TF Murphy
Outer membrane protein E (OMP E) is a 50-kDa major OMP of Branhamella
catarrhalis. Polyclonal antisera and four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to
OMP E were generated to study its antigenic structure. All antibodies
recognized epitopes in all 19 B. catarrhalis strains tested by immunoblot
assays. By flow cytometry, it was determined that MAbs 1B3 and 9G10d
recognized epitopes which are expressed on the surface of the intact
bacterium, while MAbs IC11 and 7C10 recognized epitopes which were buried
within the outer membrane. A competitive enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay
showed that MAbs 1B3 and 9G10d recognize the same or closely related
epitopes. Proteinase K treatment of whole bacterial cells revealed that
MAbs 1B3 and 9G10d recognize a surface- exposed epitope located in the
17-kDa region towards the amino terminus of OMP E. The human serum and
mucosal antibody responses to OMP E in adults with chronic bronchitis were
studied. A majority of these patients had immunoglobulin A to OMP E in
sputum supernatants. None of ten adults who experienced lower respiratory
tract infections due to B. catarrhalis demonstrated a clear-cut rise in
antibody titer to OMP E in serum or sputum supernatant. This study has
demonstrated that OMP E has at least one surface-exposed epitope which is
highly conserved among strains of B. catarrhalis and which is located in
the amino-terminal 184 amino acids of the molecule.
Copyright © 1997, American Society for Microbiology
Antigenic characterization and analysis of the human immune response to outer membrane protein E of Branhamella catarrhalis
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| J. Bacteriol. | J. Virol. | Eukaryot. Cell |
|---|
| Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. | Clin. Vaccine Immunol. | All ASM Journals |
|---|