Comparative antigenicity of spore coat proteins from Bacillus species using antibody to spore coat proteins of Bacillus megaterium

Abstract

Spore coat proteins obtained by extraction with sodium dodecylsulfate/dithiothreitol from six Bacillus spores were compared by immunoblot analysis using antibodies to spore coat proteins from two strains of B. megaterium. Although the extract from spores of each strain had heterogenous proteins with various molecular weights, there were some bands which cross-reacted with specific antibodies from B. megaterium spores. Specific antibody to 48K protein from B. megaterium ATCC 12872 cross-reacted with 17K protein from B. megaterium ATCC 19213, 13K protein from B. cereus and 50K protein from B. subtilis 60015 and B. subtilis NRRL B558. Also, specific antibody to 22K protein from the same strain cross-reacted with 22K and 17K proteins from B. megaterium ATCC 19213 and 13K protein from B. cereus T. Specific antibody to 17K protein from B. megaterium ATCC 19213 reacted with 22K and 19K proteins in addition to 17K protein of own strain, and it was cross-reactive with 16K protein from B. megaterium ATCC 12872, 19K and 27K proteins from B. thiaminolyticus, 13K protein from B. cereus.