MAPPING FOR B-CELL EPITOPES IN THE GX3262 ANTIGENIC SEQUENCE DERIVED FROM EIMERIA-TENELLA SPORULATED OOCYSTS

Polypropylene pins were impregnated with synthetic overlapping heptape ptides based on the GX3262 Eimeria tenella antigenic sequence (Miller et al., 1989). Using these coated pins as the solid phase of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), binding of sera from chickens and rabbits infected and immunised respectively with five different species of Eimeria wer e examined. Antibody reactions to the individual heptapeptides were th en analysed by a number of criteria based on the amino acid sequence i ncluding hydropathy, chain flexibility and secondary structure.