Immunoblotting and the immune response to leprosy

Immunoblotting has provided a powerful and effective approach to dissection of the immune response to mycobacterial antigens in a situation in which the availability of isolated antigenic components is severely limited. The basic approach of blotting on to a solid-phase support has been used in combination with SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, t.l.c., recombinant DNA technology and T-cell cloning in order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of glycolipid and protein antigens involved in the immune response to mycobacterial infection.