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transcript
Antigen heterogeneity among Mycoplasma
mycoides subsp. mycoides SC isolates:
discrimination of major surface proteins
RosaÂrio Gonc,alvesa,*, Jose Regallaa, Jacques Nicoletb,Joachim Freyb, Robin Nicholasc, John Bashiruddind,
Paola de Santisd, Aires Penha Gonc,alvesa
aLaboratoÂrio Nacional de Investigac,aÄo VeterinaÂria, Estrada de Benfica 701, 1500 Lisboa, PortugalbInstitut for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, Laenggasstrasse 122,
CH-3012 Berne, SwitzerlandcDepartment of Bacteriology, Central Veterinary Laboratory, Woodham Lane, Addlestone,
Surrey KT15 3NB, UKdIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise `G. Caporale', via Campo Boario,
64100 Teramo, Italy
Received 3 February 1998; accepted 1 June 1998
Abstract
The protein and antigen profiles of 60 isolates, strains and the type strain PG1 of Mycoplasma
mycoides subsp. mycoides SC were compared by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis. Analysis using contagious bovine pleuropneumonia
antisera and hyperimmune rabbit sera against several representative strains revealed some
differences in protein profiles and variability in antigens among strains from different geographic
regions. The most common antigenic bands had the molecular masses of 110, 95, 80, 69, 62, 60, 48,
44, 39 and 38 kDa. There were differences among European strains, where a larger group coming
from Italy lacked the p98 antigen, thus, with one exception, distinguishing the Italian strains from
Portuguese, French and Spanish strains. African, Australian and PG1 strains showed heterogenic
profiles, with quantitative differences and in a few strains some antigenic bands were absent. The
group constituting African, Australian and PG1 strains was characterised by the presence of 71.5/
70 kDa antigens, which were not detected in European strains. Mycoplasma mycoides subsp.
mycoides SC membrane proteins were characterised by Triton X-114 partitioning and p110, p98,
p95, p62/60 and p48 were identified as immunogenic antigens. The simultaneous presence of these
five antigens was common to all the sera examined and, therefore, indicates the diagnostic potential
Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +351-1-7162075; fax: +351-1-7163964.
0378-1135/98/$ ± see front matter Crown Copyright # 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
PII: S 0 3 7 8 - 1 1 3 5 ( 9 8 ) 0 0 2 1 4 - 4
of immunoblotting. Most immunodominant antigens are surface-exposed proteins as determined by
the trypsin treatment. Crown Copyright # 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Keywords: Mycoplasma mycoides; Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia; Antigens; Immunoblotting
1. Introduction
Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp.
mycoides SC (M. mycoides SC), is a serious disease in some parts of the world. In the
African continent it causes important economic losses, while in Europe outbreaks have
been reported in Portugal, Italy and Spain in the past decade. Approaches to study the
mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of M. mycoides SC have been directed towards
identifying and characterizing the major antigens in order to distinguish strains of high
and low virulence. Antigenic variation of M. mycoides SC of bovine origin has been
demonstrated (Costas et al., 1987; Poumarat and Solsona, 1995) with isolates from
different animal species and geographic locations (Gonc,alves et al., 1994b, 1996). These
preliminary studies showed differences among strains isolated from cattle, small
ruminants and water buffalo originating from European countries, in particular Italy. The
results obtained led us to extend this work to more strains and a wider range of polyclonal
sera.
The aims of this study were: (i) to differentiate strains of M. mycoides SC from Europe,
Africa and Australia, including the type strain PG1 by immunoblotting with a panel of
polyclonal antibodies to establish the major immunogenic components; (ii) to identify
major surface membrane proteins with Triton X-114 partitioning; and (iii) to study the
membrane topology of immunodominant antigens.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Strains and growth conditions
Forty-six strains of M. mycoides SC from European countries (Portugal [n�24], Spain
[n�6], France [n�4] and Italy [n�12]), 10 strains from African countries (Senegal
[n�4], Burkina Faso [n�1], Chad [n�1], Ethiopia [n�1], Rwanda [n�1], Sudan [n�1]
and Tanzania [n�1]), three strains from Australia, and the type strain PG1 were used in
this study (Table 1). M. mycoides SC cells, from log-phase cultures growing in modified
Gourlay medium at 378C, were harvested by centrifugation at 14 600�g for 1 h at 48C,
followed by three washes in phosphate-buffered saline solution (PBS, 0.1 M Na2HPO4,
0.1 M NaH2PO4, 0.15 M NaCl, pH 7.2). Washed cells were resuspended in the same
buffer and stored at ÿ208C.
2.2. Hyperimmune sera and bovine sera
Seven sera from naturally infected cattle with CBPP consisted of: three from Portugal
(#806, #845, #925), three from Italy (#1, #2, #3) and one from Uganda (animal Kikara);
14 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
Table 1Strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides SC used
Strain Collectiona Origin Isolated Host
B103 LNIV Portugal 1986 Cattle/lung
B345 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/pleural fluid
B356 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lymph node
B360 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lymph node
B421 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B523 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lymph node
B526 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lymph node
B530 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B674 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B675/1 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B675/2 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B675/3 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B773/124 LNIV Portugal 1991 Cattle/semen
B773/125 LNIV Portugal 1991 Cattle/semen
B820/123 LNIV Portugal 1991 Cattle/prepucial washing
B820/124 LNIV Portugal 1991 Cattle/prepucial washing
B991 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
B994 LNIV Portugal 1993 Cattle/lung
C305 LNIV Portugal 1993 Goat/lung
C425 LNIV Portugal 1993 Goat/lung
O326 LNIV Portugal 1993 Sheep/milk
O512 LNIV Portugal 1993 Sheep/milk
O526 LNIV Portugal 1993 Sheep/milk
PB90 LNIV Portugal 1990 Cattle/lung
2059 LPB Spain 1984 Cattle/lung
6363 LPB Spain 1991 Cattle/lung
6364 LPB Spain 1991 Cattle/lung
O697 LNSPA Spain 1989 Cattle
R898 LNSPA Spain Cattle
U110 LNSPA Spain Cattle
PO2 CIRAD France 1980 Cattle/lung
2022 LPB France 1984 Cattle/lung
2091 LPB France 1984 Cattle/lung
2117 LPB France 1984 Cattle/lung
L2 IVBBE Italy 1992 Cattle/lung
Bf138 IZSTE Italy 1992 Buffalo
57/13 IZSBRE Italy 1992 Cattle
130/20 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle/pleural fluid
80 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle
95 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle
170 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle
466 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle (fetus)
921/1 IZSTE Italy 1992 Cattle
6467 IZSBRE Italy 1992 Cattle/lung
6472 IZSBRE Italy 1992 Cattle/lung
6479 IZSBRE Italy 1992 Cattle/lung
Afade CIRAD Chad 1968 Cattle
Fatick CIRAD Senegal 1968 Cattle
Filfili CIRAD Senegal preÂ- 1988 Cattle
R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 15
and sera from cattle submitted to contact exposure with endobronchially infected animals
consisted of: one from Portugal (#11) contact exposed to field strain (Correia et al., 1990)
and one from a Swiss cow (#502) contact exposed to Italian strain L2 (Miserez et al.,
1996). These were collected at days 101 and 112 post-contact and had complement
fixation test titres of 1/1280 and 1/160, respectively. Hyperimmune rabbit serum to a
Portuguese strain (B345) absorbed with whole cells of M. mycoides SC Italian strain 466
(monospecific serum to 98 kDa antigen) (Gonc,alves et al., 1996) and rabbit antisera
against 17 M. mycoides SC isolates representing different antigenic profiles and countries
of origin were produced. The monospecific serum was prepared by adsorbtion as follows:
equal parts of hyperimmune rabbit serum were mixed with the sediment obtained after
the centrifugation of the Italian strain 466 for 4 h at room temperature (RT) and overnight
at 48C. The amount of original cell mass used for adsorption was equivalent to 1513 mg of
protein. Serum collected by centrifugation at 13 000�g for 60 min was adsorbed twice in
order to avoid non-specific immunostaining. Hyperimmune antisera to whole
mycoplasma organisms were raised in rabbits by injections of 200 mg protein per dose
per animal in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. The rabbits were injected intradermally and
intramuscularly twice with a 3-week interval, and boosted 3 weeks later with intravenous
injections five or six times every 48 h. Rabbits were bled 4 days after administration of
the last injection. All the preinoculated rabbit sera were negative both by CFT and
immunoblotting procedures using B103 antigen. Sera and antisera were diluted 1:10 or
1:100 in PBS containing 0.1% skim milk and 0.1% ovalbumin (dilution buffer) for
Western blots, the antisera being first absorbed with culture medium, in equal parts, to
avoid non-specific reactions.
Table 1(Continued)
Strain Collectiona Origin Isolated Host
Gemu Goffa CIRAD Ethiopia 1974 Cattle
KH3J CIRAD Sudan 1940 Cattle/vaccine strain
T1Sr CIRAD Tanzania 1952 Cattle/vaccine strain
2144 Dakar CIRAD Senegal preÂ- 1968 Cattle
2162 CIRAD Senegal preÂ- 1968 Cattle
87137-9 Ouagadougou CIRAD Burkina Faso 1987 Cattle
94111 CIRAD Rwanda 1994 Cattle
DVZ IVBBE Australia 1965 Cattle
Gladysdale NCTC Australia Cattle
V5 IVBBE Australia 1965- 8 Cattle/vaccine strain
PG1 (NCTC 10114) NCTC Unknown 1931 Cattle
a LNIV, LaboratoÂrio Nacional de Investigac,aÄo VeterinaÂria, Lisboa, Portugal; LNSPA, Laboratorio Nacional deSanidad y ProduccioÂn Animal, Santa FeÂ, Granada, Spain; LPB, Laboratoire de Pathologie Bovine, Lyon, France;CIRAD, CIRAD-EMVT, Maisons-Alfort, Franc,a; IZSTE, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo edel Molise, Teramo, Italy; IZSBRE, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia,Brescia, Italy; IVBBE, Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, Berne, Switzerland; NCTC, National Collection ofType Cultures, PHLS, London, UK.
16 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
2.3. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting
The protein content of thawed mycoplasma cells was estimated by the method of
Lowry et al. (1951). Samples were mixed with lysis buffer (500 mM Tris/HCl pH 6.8,
4.6% (w/v) SDS, 20% (v/v) glycerol, 10% (v/v) 2-mercaptoethanol and 0.004%
bromophenol blue) and boiled for 5 min. Equal amounts of lysates (20 mg wellÿ1) were
separated by SDS-PAGE in a 1.5 mm thick, 4% stacking/5±15% gradient-resolving gel
and the electrophoresis was run at a constant current of 40 mA according to Laemmli
(1970) and visualised with a Coomassie blue stain.
Separated proteins were transferred to 0.45 mm nitrocellulose membranes (NC) at 70 V
constant voltage for 1.5 h (Towbin et al., 1979). The membranes were blocked in PBS
containing 1 M glycine, 1% egg albumin and 5% skim milk for 2 h at RT then allowed to
react with diluted sera at 378C under agitation for 2 h. After washing at RT for three
15 min washes in 0.1% (v/v) Tween 20 in PBS and again for 10 min in PBS alone, the NC
sheets were incubated for 1 h at RT with appropriate dilutions of peroxidase-conjugated
sheep anti-bovine-IgG (H�L chains) or anti-rabbit-IgG (H�L chains) in dilution buffer.
After washing as above, the substrate comprising 30 mg 4-chloro-1-naphthol dissolved in
10 ml methanol jointed to 50 ml PBS and 30 ml H2O2 was added and left for 5±15 min in
the dark.
2.4. Fractionation of membrane components
The PG1 strain was subjected to Triton X-114 (TX-114) phase partitioning as
described by Bordier (1981), and applied to mycoplasmas (Riethman et al., 1987; Wise
and Kim, 1987). The strain was thawed and adjusted to 2 mg protein mlÿ1 in PBS.
Prewashed, condensed TX-114 was added to give a final concentration of 1% (w/v) and
incubated for 30 min at 48C. After centrifugation at 48C for 5 min at 13 000�g to remove
the insoluble material, the supernatant was incubated for 5 min at 378C to induce rapid
condensation of TX-114, and then centrifuged at 228C for 5 min at 10 000�g. The
aqueous (upper) phase was transferred to a second tube and brought to 1% TX-114,
whereas the TX-114 (lower) phase was brought to the original volume with PBS. Both
suspensions were then dissolved by incubation at 48C for 15 min and phase partitioning
was repeated three times. Both phases were used for subsequent electrophoretic and
immunoblotting analysis with a Portuguese CBPP serum (animal #806).
2.5. Treatment of mycoplasma proteins with trypsin
Trypsin at two final concentrations was used (Riethman et al., 1987) to digest whole
cells of the PG1 strain. Protocol 1: Washed cells of a 48 h culture incubation were
suspended in TS buffer (10 mM Tris±HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl), to a final concentration
of 0.4 mg mlÿ1 of trypsin (Sigma) and incubated at 378C for 30 min. After centrifugation
at 48C for 5 min at 13 000�g, pelletted cells were washed twice with TS. Protocol 2:
Washed cells of a 48 h culture incubation were suspended in PBS with trypsin to a final
concentration of 1.0 mg mlÿ1 plus the protease-inhibitor phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride
to a final concentration of 1 mM and incubated at 378C for 30 min. Mycoplasmas were
R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 17
sedimented by centrifugation at 48C for 5 min at 13 000�g and the cell pellet washed
twice with PBS. Sample lysis buffer to the original volume was immediately added to
pellets treated as described. Aliquots of mycoplasma cells in buffers without enzyme
were treated similarly. Samples were heated under reducing conditions and submitted to
SDS-PAGE and western blotting. Blots were immunostained with a Portuguese CBPP
serum (animal #806).
3. Results
SDS-PAGE separation of proteins of M. mycoides SC strains stained with Coomassie
blue produced 50±60 bands corresponding to molecular weights of 212±14.4 kDa. In one
Portuguese strain and 10 Italian strains the 98 kDa band was not present. A similarity in
protein profiles in the range of 94±67 kDa and 53±34 kDa was observed between Spanish
strain 2059 and African strain 94111. The amounts of particular proteins differed in
African vaccine strains. In Australian strains the absence of 95 kDa in Gladysdale and
30 kDa protein in vaccine strain V5 was observed. PG1 strain lacked the 54 and 30 kDa
proteins, and had a similar profile to the V5 strain.
In immunoblotting the major conserved antigenic bands ranged from 110±38 kDa
designated p110, p95, p80, p69, p62, p60, p48, p44, p39 and p38 according to their
molecular sizes. The bands identified by bovine sera were always lower in number than
those by rabbit antisera. When Portuguese strains were analysed with infected animal sera
and hyperimmune sera, one strain (B675), differed from all the others. This strain was
further cloned and one clone (B675/3) had a similar profile to most Italian strains, that is,
it lacked the 98 kDa protein. Sera from naturally infected Italian bovines and the serum
from a bovine infected experimentally with strain L2 (Swiss bovine #502) did not
recognise the 98 kDa antigen (Gonc,alves et al., 1996). Two Italian strains studied (6467
and 6472) presented the 98 kDa (Fig. 1). Strains 2059 and 94111 produced a distinctive
profile with serum from animal #806 that distinguished them from all others: a strong
reaction at the level of 81.5, 77.5 and 65 kDa. The p95 antigen was not stained in the
isolate from prepucial washing, B820/123 (Gonc,alves, 1994) and Gladysdale strain, and
in the French strain 2091 this polypeptide was always situated at a lower level comparing
to the other strains (see arrow in Fig. 1). In strain PG1 the p45 and p38 were weakly
recognised by sera from naturally infected bovines. Serum from an African bovine
detected most of the antigens detected by sera from European bovines but with some
differences: 71.5/70 kDa polypeptides were recognised in African, Australian strains and
PG1 but not in European strains (Fig. 2). The same profile was obtained with all the
hyperimmune rabbit sera produced with African, Australian and PG1 strains (Figs. 3±5).
It is important to clarify that, in the present study, the molecular weight of the
immunogenic protein P72 (Cheng et al., 1996) was slightly lower, 69/67 kDa (data not
shown). The monospecific serum to 98 kDa antigen, as described above, reacted only
with the 98 kDa polypeptide in Portuguese, Spanish and French strains and not with any
proteins of the Italian strains tested (Gonc,alves et al., 1996). Strains isolated from bull
semen, specially B774/124 strain (Gonc,alves, 1994), showed a larger number of
immunoreactive bands. Also, the hyperimmune rabbit serum produced against the other
18 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
Fig
.1
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R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 19
Fig
.2
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20 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
Fig
.3
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R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 21
Fig
.4
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22 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
Fig
.5
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R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 23
Fig
.6
.T
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24 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
strain from semen (B773/125) detected a larger number of antigenic bands in all the
M. mycoides SC strains studied. In the Italian strain 6467 the 48 kDa protein was not
antigenic when reacted with all available antisera although a similar protein was present
in electrophoretic profile. The 37 kDa polypeptide of the Senegalese strain Filfili was not
revealed with any sera. Anti-Filfili serum did not recognise the 37 kDa polypeptide of any
strain. Differences observed in immunoblots of all strains stained with hyperimmune
rabbit sera produced against African vaccine strains were: 76, 65 and 37 kDa antigens
were not identified by anti-KH3J, with the exception of a 37 kDa antigen in PG1 strain.
PG1 hyperimmune rabbit serum did not recognise the polypeptide of 54 kDa in all
strains. A weak reaction in the 45 and 39/38 kDa antigens was observed in all strains
immunoblotted with this antiserum and there was an absence of the staining of 30 kDa
polypeptide.
To investigate the possibility that the variable antigens detected in several strains of
M. mycoides SC might be membrane proteins, PG1 strain was subjected to TX-114 phase
fractionation and further staining with a CBPP serum to determine whether these proteins
were immunogenic in the natural host. Immunoblots of SDS-PAGE profiles of TX-114
treated proteins of PG1, showed the presence of 11 proteins in the detergent phase, of
which p110, p98, p95, p80, p62, p48 and p44 were strongly recognised as immunogenic
by a CBPP serum, as well as three soluble proteins in aqueous phase (p55, p38, p37). On
the basis of their highly selective hydrophobic properties, antigens p110, p98, p95 and
p62 were provisionally classified as integral membrane proteins. The appearance of p69/
p67 in both TX-114 phases is likely to be due to an incomplete partitioning as P72 has
been shown to be a lipoprotein (Cheng et al., 1996).
Stained protein profiles and immunoblots of strain PG1 treated with trypsin showed
that some of the above immunogenic bands (p110, p98, p95, p62) were removed with a
greater amount of trypsin (Fig. 6(A),(B), lane 3) whereas mycoplasma cells in buffers
without trypsin yielded the native proteins (data not shown). In spite of the failure of the
total hydrophobicity of bands at 69 and 67 kDa their surface location was confirmed by
their removal with trypsin treatment (Fig. 6(A),(B), lane 3). The surface membrane
position of antigen p48 could not be demonstrated conclusively. A polypeptide of about
48 kDa was stained after trypsin treatment, but was probably the residue of proteolytic
degradation of another protein. However, in Coomassie blue-stained gels it appeared to be
membrane-associated.
4. Discussion
In the work reported here differences in protein profiles between M. mycoides SC
strains usually reflected variations in the concentrations of individual proteins, but, the
absence of specific proteins was noted in some cases. In a previous study (Gonc,alves et
al., 1994a), the type strain PG1 of unknown origin was characterised by the absence of
54 kDa protein. In this study, protein profiles of PG1 and the Australian strain V5 were
similar, both lacking the 30 kDa band.
European strains form a genetic clonal lineage (Cheng et al., 1995), and antigenic
differences within them are seen in the Portuguese (with one exception), Spanish and
R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28 25
French strains which together form one group with nearly identical immunoprofiles
which are distinct from the Italian strains. The detection of two distinct clones in the same
culture of a Portuguese strain, one of them antigenically similar to the Italian group,
demonstrates a mixed population in the same isolate. Previous studies have demonstrated
the difference in most Italian strains which lack the 98 kDa protein when compared with
other European strains (Gonc,alves et al., 1996). The results presented here suggest that
the 10 Italian strains may not synthesise the polypeptide corresponding to the 98 kDa
antigen or its antigenic structure is unrelated and they are a variant clone from the same
geographic origin. A different antigenic profile around 100 kDa was also observed in
92% of Italian strains (Poumarat and Solsona, 1995). To correlate these findings and to
have a better epidemiologic knowledge of M. mycoides SC in Europe it is imperative to
analyse a higher number of strains, especially Spanish and French strains.
Though the European strains have genetic patterns different from African strains
(Cheng et al., 1995), observations have verified an antigenic similarity between a Spanish
strain (2059) and an African strain from Rwanda after immunostaining with sera from
naturally infected Portuguese cattle. This African strain also forms a genetic pattern
different from the second cluster (Cheng et al., 1995). In agreement with these genetic
studies, immunologically, PG1-type strain is closely related to the African and Australian
strains, with a strong band at level 71.5/70 kDa, which is not found in European strains.
These results give strong support to the hypothesis formulated by several researchers
(Cheng et al., 1995; Poumarat and Solsona, 1995) that re-emergent CBPP outbreaks in
the last 15 years in Europe were not from imported African cattle. Together these findings
also point out that both the genetic and the protein banding similarities between
Australian and African strains diverge from the generally accepted proposition that CBPP
in Australia was imported from Europe (Provost et al., 1987; ter Laak, 1992).
Alternatively, and more likely, the Australian and African strains have arisen from strains
which no longer exist in Europe today.
Additionally, our observations with PG1 strain, show that the 98 kDa is confined to the
hydrophobic TX-114 phase and disappears with trypsin treatment of whole cells, thereby
confirming its surface membrane localization. The majority of the proteins recognised by
the CBPP serum in the detergent phase were also immunodominant in previous studies
with whole cells (Regalla et al., 1994). These data showed that IgG immunoprofiles of
sera from naturally infected cattle in all stages of the CBPP contained from 10 to 35
reactive proteins. Of these the simultaneous presence of five proteins ± p110, p98, p95,
p62, and p48 ± were common to all the sera examined and, therefore, were considered the
minimum CBPP-specific profile of immunodominant antigens. This common immuno-
logical pattern is very encouraging as much as it indicates the diagnostic potential of the
immunoblotting test: even in CFT-negative sera from infected animals this profile was
common (Regalla et al., 1996). A strong IgA reaction to the membrane lipoprotein P72 of
M. mycoides SC, in bronchial lavage samples of cattle experimentally infected, confirmed
the induction of a specific local immune response (Abdo et al., 1997). Furthermore, these
studies showed that other reacting antigens with IgA, such as 110, 95 and 48 kDa, are
lipoproteins.
Proteins partitioning into TX-114 phase have been demonstrated previously to be
important immunogenic surface components recognised by host antibodies during
26 R. Gonc,alves et al. / Veterinary Microbiology 63 (1998) 13±28
infection (Riethman et al., 1987; Rosengarten and Wise, 1991). The function of antigenic
variation in several mycoplasmas like M. hyorhinis (Rosengarten and Wise, 1991),
M. gallisepticum (Yogev et al., 1994), M. bovis (Sachse et al., 1992; Rosengarten et al.,
1994), has been attributed to either immune evasion or, for structural proteins,
microorganism±host interactions essential for pathogenesis. Antigenic variation, an
important mechanism of infection, is due to membrane surface proteins (Vsps) mainly
lipoproteins (Wise et al., 1993). Further studies to demonstrate if M. mycoides SC
lipoproteins have a similar role in virulence are in progress.
Moreover, from these preliminary studies, it appears that in PG1 a peripheral
membrane protein with an apparent molecular weight of 37 kDa which partitions in the
aqueous phase contributes to the variation of the antigenic profile in Filfili strain of M.
mycoides SC. Similar proteins have been demonstrated in other species of mycoplasmas
(Rosengarten et al., 1995).
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Rosinda Martinho, Joaquim Galharda and Paula Cortes for their
expert technical assistance. This study is part of the European COST action 826 on
ruminants' mycoplasmoses. It has been carried out with the financial support of the
Commission of the European Communities, Agriculture and Fisheries (FAIR) specific
RTD programme, CT95-0711 `Development of new and improved diagnostic tests for
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in Europe'. It does not necessarily reflect
its views and in no way anticipates the Commission's future policy in this area.
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