ANALYSIS OF NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC ANTIGENS AND EPITOPES OF MYCOBACTERIA

为了定义免疫优势表位并开发单特异性 皮肤试验抗原，同源19 kDa蛋白的T细胞表位 从细胞内分枝杆菌和结核分枝杆菌定义 重叠的合成肽。这两种抗原，显示出78% 序列同源性，为定义 物种特定表位。这些分枝杆菌的T细胞活性 多肽首先在体外通过挑战抗M。肺结核， 反M。Avium和抗M。Kansasii T细胞株及T细胞检测 扩散。结核分枝杆菌19 kDa来源的6个多肽 抗原刺激T细胞。这些多肽中有两个是特定的 仅对结核分枝杆菌T细胞系有效。四种多肽 来源于胞内支原体19 kDa抗原诱导的T细胞 其中两个多肽具有特异的反应性。这个 还检测了多肽诱导迟发性肺炎的能力。 豚鼠的超敏反应。所有六个人 皮肤试验中具有活性的结核多肽被引出 不特定的答复。然而，九种活跃的胞内分枝杆菌中的一种 多肽确实能引起单特异性的DTH反应。这些实验 建议特定的皮肤测试试剂可以从合成的 多肽。

In an effort to define immunodominant epitopes and to develop monospecific skin test antigens, T cell epitopes from the homologous 19 kDa proteins from Mycobacterium intracellulare and M. tuberculosis were defined with overlapping synthetic peptides. These two antigens, exhibiting 78% sequence homology, present an excellent opportunity for defining species-specific epitopes. The T cell activity of these mycobacterial peptides were first tested in vitro by challenging anti-M. tuberculosis, anti-M. avium, and anti-M. kansasii T cell lines and assaying for T cell proliferation. Six peptides derived from the 19 kDa M. tuberculosis antigen stimulated T cells. Two of these peptides were specifically active against only the M. tuberculosis T cell line. Four the peptides derived from the M. intracellulare 19 kDa antigen induced T cell proliferation, and two of these peptides had specific reactivity. The peptides were also assayed for their capacity to elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in guinea pigs. All six of the tuberculosis peptides that were active in skin test assays elicited non-specific responses. However, one of nine active M. intracellulare peptides did elicit a monospecific DTH response. These experiments suggest that specific skin test reagents may be developed from synthetic peptides.