The GroES antigens of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis.

The GroES antigen provokes a strong immune response in human beings with tuberculosis or leprosy. We cloned and sequenced the Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis GroES genes. M. avium and M. paratuberculosis have identical GroES sequences which differ from other mycobacterial species. This supports the current formal designation of M. paratuberculosis as M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Immunodominant epitopes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis GroES are conserved in M. avium, but some Mycobacterium leprae epitopes are distinct. GroES is unlikely to be specific as a serologic or skin test reagent, but may be an appropriate component of a broad mycobacterial vaccine.