Epitope mapping.

This article describes a strategy for the mapping of the binding site, or epitope, of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) using bacterially expressed protein products. An overall strategy is discussed. This includes an initial round of several parallel approaches to gain the greatest amount of information at this stage. The second round uses the mapping information generated to identify MAbs, which may bind to identical or overlapping epitopes. The third round involves the design of new constructs that express small defined regions of the protein to refine the position of the epitope. The final step leads to the identification of the epitope to a resolution of 10 amino acid residues or else.