A glycolipid antigen specific to Mycobacterium paratuberculosis: structure and antigenicity.

Abstract

Bovine paratuberculosis causes large losses in revenue due to lower milk production and shorter life for affected cattle. M. paratuberculosis (National Animal Disease Center strain 18 and American Type Culture Collection strain 19698), the causative agent of Johne disease (bovine paratuberculosis), contains a major immunoreactive glycopeptidolipid (polar GPL-I) that was isolated and characterized. .**GRAPHIC**. The glycolipid antigen belongs to the polar mycoside C glycopeptidolipid family present in other mycobacterial species. The distal 2,3-di-O-methyl-.alpha.-L-fucopyranosyl-(1 .fwdarw. 3)-.alpha.-L-rhamnopyranoside unit, the obvious antigen determinant, appears to be characteristic of M. paratuberculosis. The glycolipid can be recognized readily in isolates of M. paratuberculosis by TLC [thin layer chromatography] and its presence may be used as a characteristic marker of the infectious agent. The polar glycopeptidolipid was highly reactive in ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay] against serum from an animal hyperimmunized with M. paratuberculosis strain 18, indicating its basic immunogenicity.