Epitope Mapping of the Diphtheria Toxin and Development of an ELISA-Specific Diagnostic Assay.

ABSTRACT: Background: The diphtheria toxoid antigen is a major component in pediatric and booster combination vaccines and is known to raise a protective humoral immune response upon vaccination. Although antibodies are considered critical for diphtheria protection, little is known about the antigenic determinants that maintain humoral immunity. Methods: One-hundred and twelve 15 mer peptides covering the entire sequence of diphtheria toxin (DTx) protein were prepared by SPOT synthesis. The immunoreactivity of membrane-bound peptides with sera from mice immunized with a triple DTP vaccine allowed mapping of continuous B-cell epitopes, topological studies, multiantigen peptide (MAP) synthesis, and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) development. Results: Twenty epitopes wer

SUBMITTER: De-Simone SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8066203 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature