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Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 2004, p. 1035-1039, Vol. 11, No. 6
1071-412X/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.11.6.1035-1039.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Antigenic Determinants of Alpha-Like Proteins of Streptococcus agalactiae

Johan A. Maeland,1* Lars Bevanger,1 and Randi Valsoe Lyng2

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Children's and Women's Health, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology,1 Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, St. Olav's Hospital, University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway2

Received 19 May 2004/ Returned for modification 29 June 2004/ Accepted 12 August 2004

The majority of group B streptococcus (GBS) isolates express one or more of a family of surface-anchored proteins that vary by strain and that form ladder-like patterns on Western blotting due to large repeat units. These proteins, which are important as GBS serotype markers and as inducers of protective antibodies, include the alpha C (C{alpha}) and R4 proteins and the recently described alpha-like protein 2 (Alp2), encoded by alp2, and Alp3, encoded by alp3. In this study, we examined antigenic determinants possessed by Alp2 and Alp3 by testing of antibodies raised in rabbits, mainly by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and an ELISA absorption test. The results showed that Alp2 and Alp3 shared an antigenic determinant, which may be a unique immunological marker of the Alp variants of GBS proteins. Alp2, in addition, possessed an antigenic determinant which showed specificity for Alp2 and a third determinant which showed serological cross-reactivity with C{alpha}. Alp3, in addition to the determinant common to Alp2 and Alp3, harbored an antigenic site which also was present in the R4 protein, whereas no Alp3-specific antigenic site was detected. These ELISA-based results were confirmed by Western blotting and a fluorescent-antibody test. The results are consistent with highly complex antigenic structures of the alpha-like proteins in a fashion which is in agreement with the recently described structural mosaicism of the alp2 and alp3 genes. The results are expected to influence GBS serotyping, immunoprotection studies, and GBS vaccine developments.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, St. Olav's Hospital, University Hospital, N-7006 Trondheim, Norway. Phone: 47 73 86 71 00. Fax: 47 73 86 71 30. E-mail: Johan.Meland{at}medisin.ntnu.no.

Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, November 2004, p. 1035-1039, Vol. 11, No. 6
1071-412X/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CDLI.11.6.1035-1039.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Maeland, J. A., Bevanger, L., Lyng, R. V. (2005). Immunological Markers of the R4 Protein of Streptococcus agalactiae. CVI 12: 1305-1310 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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