THE 65 KDA PROTEIN OF MYCOBACTERIUM-HABANA AND ITS PUTATIVE ROLE IN IMMUNITY AGAINST EXPERIMENTAL TUBERCULOSIS

Mycobacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium le prae possess multiple antigens some of which inhibit other anti-mycoba cterial immune responses. Whole cell vaccines are not free from these suppressive molecules and may adversely affect the immunogenic respons e(s). Purified protein components having only immunogenic properties s hould prove to be superior vaccine(s). Mycobacterium habana, a candida te vaccine for mycobacterial infections has been dissected for analysi ng its antigenic myriad. A 65 kDa protein of this mycobacterium has be en isolated and characterized for its protective and cell mediated imm une responses. The protein was isolated in pure form using an isotacho phoresis (SDS-PAGE filtration) technique and identified with low molec ular weight markers along with mAb using the immunoblot technique. Mab IIH9 has identified a 65 kDa protein in M. habana. This protein has b een found to be immunoprotective in mice against M. tuberculosis H(37) RV infection. It generates high levels of DTH responses in mice agains t M. tuberculosis and M. leprae antigens and inhibits migration of sen sitized cells under the antigenic influence of homologous and heterolo gous origin. Possibilities of developing this protein as a subunit vac cine are discussed in this report.