Detection of pilus subunits (pilins) and filaments by using anti-P pilin antisera.

P pilus filaments are important in binding to globoside through an adhesin located at the tip of the pilus. There is considerable antigenic variation among P pili, and the immunologic response is usually serotype specific. We purified denatured pilin subunits and used them as immunogens to prepare more broadly cross-reactive antisera. Although antifilament antisera (AFA) detected predominantly the homologous strain, antisubunit antisera (ASA) prepared from two different strains detected P pili in 16 of 16 and 14 of 16 P-piliated strains by Western blotting (immunoblotting). The binding of ASA to the homologous pilus filament was inhibited by only 3 of 17 strains. ASA agglutinated only two of nine heterologous strains and immunoprecipitated pili from one of three heterologous strains. By immunoelectron microscopy ASA was seen to bind to pilus filaments but not as strongly as AFA. Antiserum raised to the denatured pilin subunit was not substantially more reactive with pilus filaments derived from heterologous strains than was AFA. ASA was, however, a very useful probe for detecting most P pilins.