Surface expression by mononuclear phagocytes of an epitope shared with mycobacterial heat shock protein 60.

Bone marrow-derived macrophages were stained with a variety of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) with specificity for the mycobacterial heat shock protein (hsp) 60 or with specific rabbit antiserum raised against mycobacterial hsp 60. The mAb ML30 as well as the specific antiserum brightly stained bone marrow-derived macrophages whereas all the other mAb as well as normal rabbit antiserum gave no or negligible reactivity. Surface expression of the shared epitope is observed by day 3 of in vitro cultivation and markedly increased by interferon-gamma stimulation on day 9. Although hsp 60 is thought to be restricted to the mitochondrial compartment, antibody responses to this molecule have been implicated in autoimmunity. Our finding that bone marrow-derived macrophages express a cross-reactive epitope recognized by an mAb with specificity for amino acids 275 to 295 of the mycobacterial hsp 60 is consistent with such a role.