Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1984 Nov 1;160(5):1476–1484. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.5.1476

Identification of protein antigens of group B streptococci, with special reference to the Ibc antigens

PMCID: PMC2187490  PMID: 6387035

Abstract

The protein antigens of prototypes of five types of group B streptococcal strains were extracted with HCl or Triton X-100, separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose, and examined by immunochemical staining. The Ibc proteins are shown to consist of at least two distinct protein antigens and their breakdown products. One antigen, the "beta" antigen, exists primarily as a 130,000 mol wt protein that is also able to bind human IgA. The "alpha" antigen, which has no known function, appears as a number of proteins of various molecular weights from 20,000 to 120,000. Another set of antigens, the R protein antigens of type III strains, has been identified as a group of acid-labile proteins varying in molecular weight from 100,000 to 130,000. In addition, two previously undescribed antigens have been found that are common to all five group B types.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.4 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Batteiger B., Newhall W. J., 5th, Jones R. B. The use of Tween 20 as a blocking agent in the immunological detection of proteins transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. J Immunol Methods. 1982 Dec 30;55(3):297–307. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(82)90089-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bevanger L., Iversen J. The Ibc protein fraction of group B streptococci: characterization of protein antigens extracted by HCL. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B. 1981 Aug;89(4):205–209. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1981.tb00177_89b.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blake M. S., Johnston K. H., Russell-Jones G. J., Gotschlich E. C. A rapid, sensitive method for detection of alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-antibody on Western blots. Anal Biochem. 1984 Jan;136(1):175–179. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(84)90320-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Doellgast G. J., Plaut A. G. Purification of human IgA by salt-mediated hydrophobic chromatography. Immunochemistry. 1976 Feb;13(2):135–139. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(76)90281-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Engvall E., Perlmann P. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Elisa. 3. Quantitation of specific antibodies by enzyme-labeled anti-immunoglobulin in antigen-coated tubes. J Immunol. 1972 Jul;109(1):129–135. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LANCEFIELD R. C. Differentiation of group A streptococci with a common R antigen into three serological types, with special reference to the bactericidal test. J Exp Med. 1957 Oct 1;106(4):525–544. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.4.525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. LANCEFIELD R. C. Occurrence of R antigen specific for Group A type 3 streptococci. J Exp Med. 1958 Sep 1;108(3):329–341. doi: 10.1084/jem.108.3.329. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. LANCEFIELD R. C., PERLMANN G. E. Preparation and properties of a protein (R antigen) occurring in streptococci of group A, type 28 and in certain streptococci of other serological groups. J Exp Med. 1952 Jul;96(1):83–97. doi: 10.1084/jem.96.1.83. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lancefield R. C., McCarty M., Everly W. N. Multiple mouse-protective antibodies directed against group B streptococci. Special reference to antibodies effective against protein antigens. J Exp Med. 1975 Jul 1;142(1):165–179. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.1.165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Patterson M. J., El Batool Hafeez A. Group B streptococci in human disease. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Sep;40(3):774–792. doi: 10.1128/br.40.3.774-792.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Perch B., Kjems E., Henrichsen New serotypes of group B streptococci isolated from human sources. J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Jul;10(1):109–110. doi: 10.1128/jcm.10.1.109-110.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Salit I. E., Blake M., Gotschlich E. C. Intra-strain heterogeneity of gonococcal pili is related to opacity colony variance. J Exp Med. 1980 Mar 1;151(3):716–725. doi: 10.1084/jem.151.3.716. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Terleckyj B., Willett N. P., Shockman G. D. Growth of several cariogenic strains of oral streptococci in a chemically defined medium. Infect Immun. 1975 Apr;11(4):649–655. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.4.649-655.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Towbin H., Staehelin T., Gordon J. Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from polyacrylamide gels to nitrocellulose sheets: procedure and some applications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Sep;76(9):4350–4354. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.9.4350. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wilkinson H. W., Eagon R. G. Type-specific antigens of group B type Ic streptococci. Infect Immun. 1971 Nov;4(5):596–604. doi: 10.1128/iai.4.5.596-604.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES