Epitope folded

Information about the putative folding of the H,K-ATPase catalytic subunit through the membrane has been obtained by the combined use of hydropathy analysis according to the criteria of Kyte and Doolittle [51], identification of sites sensitive to chemical modification [46,48,50,52-55], and localization of epitopes of monoclonal antibodies [56]. The model of the H,K-ATPase catalytic subunit (Fig. 1) which has emerged from these studies shows ten transmembrane segments and contains cytosolic N- and C-termini [53]. This secondary structure of the catalytic subunit is probably a common feature of the catalytic subunits of P-type ATPases, since evidence supporting a ten a-helical model with cytosolic N- and C-termini has also been published recently for both Ca-ATPase of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and Na,K-ATPase [57-59]. 

The A20 antibody did not bind significantly to native SR vesicles, but solubilization of the membrane with C Eg or permeabilization of the vesicles by EGTA exposed its epitope and increased the binding more than 20-fold [139], By contrast, the A52 antibody reacted freely with the native sarcoplasmic reticulum, while the A25 antibody did not react either in the native or in the C Eg solubilized or permeabilized preparations, and required denaturation of Ca " -ATPase for reaction, Clarke et al, [139] concluded that the epitope for A52 is freely exposed on the cytoplasmic surface, while the epitope for A20 was assigned to the luminal surface, where it became accessible to cytoplasmic antibodies only after solubilization or permeabilization of the membrane. The epitope for A25 is assumed to be on the cytoplasmic surface in a folded structure and becomes accessible only after denaturation. 

Figure 7.2 Schematic showing the relationship of the native antigen to the peptide mimic. The native antigen (a protein) is shown as a winding, twisted line, so as to represent a hypothetical three-dimensional structure. The peptide represents the antibody-binding epitope (shown in dotted lines) of the native antigen. The epitope can represent a linear sequence of the native protein. Alternatively, the epitope can be formed by amino acids that are not immediately adjacent to each other in the primary sequence but brought together by the three-dimensional folding of the protein. Adapted with permission from Sompuram et al.6...

Morris, G. E (1989) Monoclonal antibody studies of creatine kinase The ART epitope evidence for an intermediate in protein folding Biochem J 257,461-469. 

Epitopes are small linear sequences of amino acid residues, branched sequences of carbohydrate, or shape sequences brought about by the folding of a protein molecule. The... 

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