Evidence of common epitopes in the ganglioside binding site ofVibrio choleraeandEscherichia coliheat-labile enterotoxins

Twenty monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reacting with cholera toxin (CT) of Vibrio cholerae strain 569B were characterized in cross-section and GM1 ganglioside inhibition assays. MAbs were characterized by reaction with CT and Escherichia coli heat-labile porcine strain (LTp) and human strain (LTh) enterotoxins, and by GM1 ganglioside inhibition of mAb binding. Eight of 10 CT-A specific and 3 of 10 CT-B-specific mAbs cross-reacted with LTh and LTp. GM1 ganglioside inhibited reactions of the CT-B cross-reacting antibodies. Results showed that these epitodes common to the B subunit of CT and LT are located in or near the GM1 ganglioside binding region, and that the GM1 ganglioside-binding region of LT differs from that of CT.