Cloning, Expression and Immunogenic Analysis of P33 Protein of Mycoplasma bovigenitalium

Mycoplasma bovigenitalium is a bovine mycoplasma which has been a severe blight for dairy industry, as it is implicated in reproductive failure in both breeding bulls and dairy cattle. Recombinant protein-based serological tests which show high sensitivity and specificity have got distinct advantage over conventional whole-cell antigen-based tests owing to high concentration of immunoreactive antigens and lack non-specific moieties associated with whole-cell antigen-based preparations. Material and Methods: Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier SUMO-tagged recombinant P33 antigen expression was attempted in the present study in Escherichia cloni 10G cells and its immunogenicity was assessed by both dot blot and western blot analyses. Results: The expressed recombinant protein was found to be immunogenic against hyperimmune sera raised against whole-cell sonicated antigen of M. bovigenitalium. Discussion and Conclusion: Recombinant p33 antigen holds promise to be used in immunodiagnostics such as Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbant Assay ELISA for serodiagnosis of M. bovigenitalium infection.