Open AccessEpitopes of serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis analysed in vitro and directly from cerebrospinal fluid
Author(s) -
Wall R.A.,
Davies H.A.,
Borriello S.P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1989.tb03610.x
Subject(s) - epitope , neisseria meningitidis , immunogold labelling , biology , monoclonal antibody , bacterial outer membrane , neisseria , microbiology and biotechnology , in vitro , phase variation , in vivo , antigenic variation , antibody , virulence , biochemistry , bacteria , gene , escherichia coli , immunology , genetics
Two type B15 P1.16 strains of Neisseria meningitidis were examined by immunogold electron microscopy for accessibility of two outer membrane protein (OMPs) to monoclonal antibodies. Both strains exhibited cell‐to‐cell variation of one epitope of the Class 3 OMP (P3.15) and one of the Class 1 OMPs (P1.16) when grown in vitro. One strain, a nasopharyngeal isolate revealed this variation to be growth‐phase independent and double labelling of both epitopes showed independent variation. CSF containing N. meningitidis was stored in liquid nitrogen without laboratory processing at the time of isolation of the second strain. Direct analysis of the organisms showed no cell‐to‐cell variation and immunoglobulin G on the surface. However, while there were similar labelling densities of the Class 1 epitope in vivo compared with either strain grown in vitro, there was a lower labelling density of the Class 3 epitope in vivo that was not caused by freeze‐thawing. This reduction may be due to decreased expression of this epitope in vivo which cast doubt on the use of the Class 2/3 OMP as a vaccine candidate.