01589nas a2200301   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002400067653001300091653001100104653001600115653001200131653000900143653001800152653002400170653002500194653003100219653001200250100001500262700001200277700001200289245015000301300001000451490000700461520080500468022001401273       1977                            d  c1977 May10aAnimals10aAntigens, Bacterial10aEpitopes10aHumans10aImmune Sera10aleprosy10aMice10aMycobacterium10aMycobacterium avium10aMycobacterium leprae10aMycobacterium lepraemurium10aRabbits1 aKronvall G1 aCloss O1 aBjune G00aCommon antigen of Mycobacterium leprae, M. lepraemurium, M. avium, and M. fortuitum in comparative studies using two different types of antisera.  a542-60 v163 a<p>No. 21 mycobacterial antigens of Mycobacterium lepraemurium, M. avium, M. fortuitum, and M. leprae were compared in crossed immunoelectrophoresis using two different antibody sources, a serum pool from lepromatous leprosy patients (LSII) and a rabbit anti-M. smegmatis antiserum. M. lepraemurium, like M. avium, was found to contain the 21 A and 21 C determinants. M. fortuitum contained in addition a new type of determinant, 21 D.M. leprae antigen no. 21 carried the A as well as the B dertminants, the latter found so far only in the leprosy bacillus. The separate taxonomic position of M. leprae, suggested by earlier studies of the no. 21 antigen, is further supported by the present results, which also demonstrate the potential use of submolecular heterogeneity for such investigations.</p>  a0019-9567