Fig. 5: Mapping of P1 epitopes. Variability in P1 and P40/P90.

a Mapping into the P1 structure of all known epitopes (Supplementary Fig. 10). Most epitopes are located on the protein surface, although accessibility by antibodies appears to be difficult for a few of them. b Three views of the P1 surface, 90° apart from each other, with the genetically variable regions (brown), RepMP4 (light pink), RepMP2/3 (light blue), and the C-terminal domain (cyan). c The corresponding three views of the P40/P90 surface, with the genetically variable regions (brown), RepMP5 (green), and the C-terminal domain (cyan). The C-terminal domain, modeled from the structure of P110, is depicted as ribbons. Sites of genetic and clinical variability are also represented for P1 and P40/P90 in the lower part of the corresponding panels. Clinical variability refers to the variation exhibit by clinical isolates characterized so far. In turn, “genetic variability” indicates regions that are potentially variable by DNA recombination between RepMP elements in M. pneumoniae genome. Presently, genetic variability regions are wider than clinical variability.