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Construction of chimaeric genes for mapping a surface‐exposed epitope on the pilus of non‐typable Haemophilus influenzae strain M37
Author(s) -
Palmer Katherine L.,
Munson Robert S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1992.tb01435.x
Subject(s) - pilin , pilus , epitope , biology , haemophilus influenzae , conformational epitope , escherichia coli , monoclonal antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , recombinant dna , gene , strain (injury) , antibody , genetics , anatomy , antibiotics
Summary A murine monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated 3H12, reacts with a surface‐exposed conformational epitope on the pilus of non‐typable Haemophilus influenzae strain M37. This antibody does not recognize the related pilus from H. influenzae type b, strain MinnA. Although mAb 3H12 does not recognize strain M37 pilin on Western blots, mAb 3H12 recognizes the recombinant M37 pilin protein expressed by Escherichia coli. In order to map the epitope recognized by mAb 3H12, we constructed a series of chimaeric genes. The chimaeric genes were expressed in E. coli and the chimaeric proteins characterized with respect to their reactivity with mAb 3H12. Residues between 37 and 100 of the M37 pilin protein are essential for the expression of the mAb 3H12 epitope. Residues in the carboxyl half of the M37 protein enhance the reactivity of mAb 3H12 when expressed in the presence of residues 37–100. Construction of chimaeric genes may provide a general methodology for mapping of conformational epitopes expressed by one of a related pair of proteins.