Direct blotting with viable cells of protein mixtures separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

A procedure is described which combines the high resolution power of two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis with the advantage of direct probing with viable cells. This device permits the transfer by electroelution of 480 distinct fractions from a 2D gel into soluble phase. Transferred fractions are virtually nontoxic, thus allowing direct probing with viable cells. Using this procedure it was shown that T cells from normal healthy individuals recognized a multitude of Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens and that the fine antigen recognition pattern of T cells changed after short-term culture in vitro. The application of this procedure to the verification of antigen purity at the T cell level and to the identification of antigens within crude bacterial lysates which are recognized by cloned T cells is described. This approach should be applicable to the rapid identification and characterization of any interesting T cell antigen, for example from important pathogens against which a subunit vaccine is desirable. Moreover, it could be helpful for the analysis of interactions between soluble ligands and their target cells.