Lilliehöök B, Sandström G
Department of Cell and Microbiology, Swedish Defence Research Establishment, Umeå.
Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1989;90(1):71-7. doi: 10.1159/000235003.
Eight monoclonal antibodies were produced by immunizing mice with a high molecular-weight antigen from Francisella tularensis. The antigen consists of carbohydrates and proteins and was found to contain several different epitopes. By treating the antigen with periodate or proteinase K, it was found that the majority of antibody-reactive epitopes was mainly dependent on the carbohydrate part of the antigen. On intact F. tularensis bacteria the epitopes seem to be exposed at the bacterial surface. Both main biovars of F. tularensis, tularensis (type A) and palaearctica (type B), exhibited the epitopes.
