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Trypanosoma cruzi glycoprotein of M r 56000: characterization and assessment of its potential to protect against fatal parasite infections
Author(s) -
Harth Günter,
Mills Alea A.,
Lin Teri,
Araujo Fausto G.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00306.x
Subject(s) - trypanosoma cruzi , biology , glycoprotein , parasite hosting , chagas disease , microbiology and biotechnology , immunofluorescence , flagellum , kinetoplastida , protein subunit , protozoa , membrane glycoproteins , antigen , virology , antibody , immunology , biochemistry , gene , world wide web , computer science
Summary A ∼ 56 000 Da membrane glycoprotein purified from epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi was characterized biochemically and tested for its efficacy to induce protection in mice from a lethal challenge with this protozoan parasite. Immunofluorescence assays with live and formalin‐fixed epimastigotes and trypomastigotes localized the glycoprotein to the flagellum, the body of the parasite, and the cell membrane. Immunoblotting demonstrated the glyco‐protein's presence in nearly equal amounts in all developmental stages of several T. cruzi isolates. Mice immunized with the purified glycoprotein and challenged with 10000 infectious trypomastigote forms of isolate Y survived the controls by up to four days. This significant protection makes this antigen a potential candidate for a multi‐subunit vaccine against 7. cruzi.