Table 1.
Epitope mapping technologies
| Technique | Time requirement | Conformational epitopes | High resolution | Complex proteins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-ray crystallography | +++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓/– |
| Peptide scanning | + | – | – | ✓ |
| H/D exchange | ++ | ✓ | – | – |
| Yeast display | ++ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Conventional site-directed mutagenesis | +++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Viral escape | +++ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shotgun mutagenesis epitope mapping | + | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Each epitope mapping technique offers relative advantages and disadvantages, summarized here. Shotgun mutagenesis epitope mapping enables mapping of both linear and conformational epitopes at amino-acid resolution directly within cells, even for the most complex eukaryotic proteins.