# SCRUB TYPHUS VARIATION:  PROTEINS AND MEMBRANE ANTIGENS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 1988 · $164,622

## Abstract

Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of scrub typhus, is
noted for its diversity with regard to both serotype and virulence.
These serotypic diversity confounds the establishment of protective
immunity to scrub typhus and complicates its serodiagnosis.  The
molecular basis for R. tsutsugamushi strain variation will be
examined by characterization of the structure and antigenicity of
the outer membrane proteins.  The goals of this study will be
accomplished by (1) identifying conserved and variable regions of
the major protein immunogen by immunoprecipitation and
immunoblotting of proteins from different strains with monoclonal
antibodies specific for identified epitopes and by comparison of
protein fragments from different strains by acrylamide gel
electrophoresis and immunoblotting; (2) correlation of epitopes
with specific amino acid sequences of the quantitatively major,
immunodominant (60K) protein by selection with monoclonal
antibodies of bacterial colonies carrying gene fragments coding for
certain epitopes; and (3) investigating the chemical nature of
epitopes identified with monoclonal antibodies by testing their
reactivity with antibody before and after protein denaturation or
treatment to destroy protein or carbohydrate moieties.  Thus, these
studies will continue to probe the significance of outer membrane
proteins of R. Tsutsugamushi in the antigenic variation of this
species of intracellular pathogens.  The proposed studies will help
define scrub typhus components which should be useful for vaccine
testing and for the preparation of immunodiagnostic reagents, and
they will shed some light on the molecular basis for genotypic and
phenotypic variation of these organisms.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3127412
- **Project number:** 2R01AI017743-07A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Z9CRZKD42ZT1
- **Principal Investigator:** BARBARA A HANSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $164,622
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1981-04-01 → 1990-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3127412

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3127412, SCRUB TYPHUS VARIATION:  PROTEINS AND MEMBRANE ANTIGENS (2R01AI017743-07A1). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3127412. Licensed CC0.

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