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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 01 1995, 103-109, Vol 33, No. 1
B Wilske, S Jauris-Heipke, R Lobentanzer, I Pradel, V Preac-Mursic, D Rossler, E Soutschek and RC Johnson
Molecular analyses of the genes encoding OspC, a major immunodominant
protein of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, revealed a considerable degree
of heterogeneity. In the present study, we investigated whether a similar
heterogeneity of the OspC phenotype can be shown by analysis with
monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Thirteen OspC-specific MAbs (L22 MAbs) were
produced by immunizing mice with either different combinations of
whole-cell antigens or recombinantly expressed OspCs cloned from strains
belonging to different Borrelia spp. Ten of them differed in their
reactivities with various strains. Western blot (immunoblot) analyses of 38
B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains resulted in 13 different reactivity
patterns. These 13 different patterns were observed among only six
different OspA serotypes, indicating that OspC is more heterogeneous than
OspA. Patterns 1 to 4 were present only in B. burgdorferi sensu stricto,
patterns 5 to 7 were present only in Borrelia afzelii, and patterns 9 to 13
were present only in Borrelia garinii. Pattern 8 was observed among B.
afzelii and B. garinii strains but not among B. burgdorferi sensu stricto
strains. One L22 MAb (2B8) recognized a common OspC-specific epitope of all
38 B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains analyzed, and another one (22C11)
recognized a common epitope of OspC from both B. afzelii and B. garinii and
was not reactive with OspC from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. Western blot
and sequence analysis of truncated OspCs located the 22C11 epitope as well
as a species-specific sequence motif between amino acids 20 and
35.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Copyright © 1995 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Phenotypic analysis of outer surface protein C (OspC) of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by monoclonal antibodies: relationship to genospecies and OspA serotype
Max von Pettenkofer Institut fur Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Universitat Munchen, Germany.
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