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A newly identified immunodominant membrane protein (pMB67) involved in Mycoplasma bovis surface antigenic variation

Annett Behrens^1,

Renate Rosengarten^1,5,,6

Institut für Mikrobiologie und Tierseuchen, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany
CNEVA-Lyon, Laboratoire de Pathologie Bovine, BP 7033, 69342 Lyon Cedex 07, France
Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, Pathologie du Béwail, BP 83, 69280 Marcy-L'Etoile, France
Institut für Veterinärmedizin und gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz, Postfach, 07722 Jena, Germany
Institut für Bakteriologie und Tierhygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Josef-Baumann-Gasse 1, 1210 Wien, Austria

⁶Author for correspondence: Renate Rosengarten. Tel: +43 1 25077 2101. Fax: +43 1 25077 2190.

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma bovis is a bovine pathogen able to cause systemic disease. It possesses a series of prominent, structurally related yet clearly distinguishable membrane lipoproteins on the cell surface. These variable surface proteins (Vsps) undergo highly dynamic and spontaneous changes in size and expression and are key immunogenic components. They may play a critical role as mediators of adherence to host cells and in escaping immune destruction. In this report, we define a novel, Vsp-unrelated membrane protein also associated with M. bovis surface antigenic variation. This protein has an apparent molecular mass of 67000 Da in the type strain PG45 and was designated pMB67. Immunological and biochemical characterization of pMB67 demonstrated that it: (i) contains a specific epitope, (ii) is not modified by lipid but does contain cysteine, (iii) does not contain a Vsp-like repetitive periodic protein structure, (iv) is a predominant antigen recognized during M. bovis infections, (v) undergoes a high rate of phase variation in vitro and (vi) is size-variable. These results showed that M. bovis employs two types of specialized membrane proteins for surface diversification. The pMB67 protein may be useful in diagnostic assays and as a vaccine component.

Present address: Institut für Molekularbiologie und Medizinische Chemie, Universitätsklinikum, Leipziger Straße 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.

Present address: Institut für Bakteriologie und Tierhygiene, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Josef-Baumann-Gasse 1, 1210 Wien, Austria.

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