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An Introduction to Epitope Mapping

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Epitope Mapping Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1785))

Abstract

Antibodies are protein molecules used routinely for therapeutic, diagnostic, and research purposes due to their exquisite ability to selectively recognize and bind a given antigen. The particular area of the antigen recognized by the antibody is called the epitope, and for proteinaceous antigens the epitope can be of complex nature. Information about the binding epitope of an antibody can provide important mechanistic insights and indicate for what applications an antibody might be useful. Therefore, a variety of epitope mapping techniques have been developed to localize such regions. Although the real picture is even more complex, epitopes in protein antigens are broadly grouped into linear or discontinuous epitopes depending on the positioning of the epitope residues in the antigen sequence and the requirement of structure. Specialized methods for mapping of the two different classes of epitopes, using high-throughput or high-resolution methods, have been developed. While different in their detail, all of the experimental methods rely on assessing the binding of the antibody to the antigen or a set of antigen mimics. Early approaches utilizing sets of truncated proteins, small numbers of synthesized peptides, and structural analyses of antibody-antigen complexes have been significantly refined. Current state-of-the-art methods involve combinations of mutational scanning, protein display, and high-throughput screening in conjunction with bioinformatic analyses of large datasets.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Vinnova, NNF Center for Biosustainability, WCPR Wallenberg Center for Protein Research, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. KTH School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Protein Engineering, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johan Nilvebrant

  2. KTH School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Protein Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johan Rockberg

  3. Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Johan Nilvebrant

Authors
  1. Johan Nilvebrant
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  2. Johan Rockberg
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Correspondence to Johan Nilvebrant or Johan Rockberg .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. KTH School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Protein Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Johan Rockberg

  2. Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Johan Nilvebrant

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Nilvebrant, J., Rockberg, J. (2018). An Introduction to Epitope Mapping. In: Rockberg, J., Nilvebrant, J. (eds) Epitope Mapping Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1785. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7841-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7841-0_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-7839-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-7841-0

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