PEPTIDE REPRESENTING ANTIGENIC EPITOPES OF FELINE IGE PRESENT ON FELINE B-CELLS BUT NOT FELINE BASOPHIL CELL SURFACES

摘要

Antigenic epitopes associated with the extracellular segment of the domain which anchors immunoglobulins to the feline B cell membrane are disclosed. For IgE, the epitopes are present on IgE-bearing B cells but not basophils or the secreted, soluble form of IgE. The epitope can be exploited for therapy and diagnosis. For example, peptides representing the epitopes associated with the anchor domain of IgE can be used to generate antibodies against these regions, for use in cat allergy therapy and analysis of cat IgE-bearing B lymphocytes.