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Antibodies against Secreted and Non‐Secreted Antigens in Mice after Infection with Live Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Author(s) -
VERBON A.,
KUIJPER S.,
JANSEN H. M.,
SPEELMAN P.,
KOLK A. H. J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1992.tb02951.x
Subject(s) - antibody , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculosis , secretory protein , biology , secretion , virology , immunology , medicine , pathology , biochemistry
Mice from four different inbred strains were infected with live Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the immune response to M. tuberculosis was followed for 24 weeks, using Western blotting. Nearly all mice, irrespective of H‐2 type, reacted with the 3S‐kDa protein band. Antibodies against this secreted 38‐kDa protein were ihe first to appear, 4 weeks after infection. Thereafter the secreted 19‐kDa protein and non‐secreted antigens, such as the 65‐kDa and 33‐kDa proteins, were recognized. The immune response against the non‐secreted antigens was influenced by the mouse strain. However, the 33‐kDa protein band was recognized by all mouse strains after a second injection wilh live M. tuberculosis. The specificity of the antibodies was analysed in Western blot using sonicates of M. tuberculosis, M. kansasii, M avium. M. terrae, M. gordonae and Escherichia coli . Antibodies against the 38‐kDa and 33‐kDa protein bands seemed to be specific for M. tuberculosis, while antibodies against the 19‐kDa protein band showed limited cross‐reactivity. Antibodies against the 65‐kDa prolein were strongly cross‐reactive. These results suggest that the 38‐kDa protein is secreted in vivo and, therefore, may be available to the humoral immune system at an early stage of infection. The non‐secreted 33‐kDa protein is only recognized by all mouse strains afler prolonged contact with M, tuberculosis.