The isolation and immunochemical characteristics of the basic iron-regulated protein in meningococci
Filatova, T.N.; Gamzulina, L.N.
Zhurnal Mikrobiologii Epidemiologii i Immunobiologii 2: 24-29
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0372-9311 PMID: 9245135 Document Number: 479349
A sufficiently simple and easy method for the isolation of one of the basic meningococcal iron-regulated proteins (IRP), protein with a mol. wt. of 37 kD (IRP 37), was developed. To carry out fine chromatographic purification of this protein. Russian-made cation-exchange sorbents, synthesized on the basis of silica gels with chemically bound functional groups, were used. The use of such sorbents made it possible to isolate IRP in water-saline solutions. The study of the immunological properties of IRP 37 revealed that antibodies to IRP 37 were specific only to mouse and rabbit meningococcal antisera and were not detected in animal antisera to a number of other pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria. The study also revealed that antibodies to this protein were present in all examined sera of patients with meningococcal meningitis. The conclusion was made that IRP 37 presented considerable interest for the immunodiagnostics and immunoprophylaxis of meningococcal and, probably, gonococcal infections.