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Characterization of Leishmania infantum thiol‐dependent reductase 1 and evaluation of its potential to induce immune protection
Author(s) -
SILVA A. M.,
TAVARES J.,
SILVESTRE R.,
OUAISSI A.,
COOMBS G. H.,
CORDEIROdaSILVA A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
parasite immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1365-3024
pISSN - 0141-9838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2012.01361.x
Subject(s) - leishmania infantum , amastigote , biology , leishmania , visceral leishmaniasis , leishmaniasis , immune system , trypanosoma cruzi , parasite hosting , antigen , axenic , virology , chagas disease , canine leishmaniasis , kinetoplastida , immunology , protozoal disease , genetics , world wide web , computer science , bacteria , malaria
Summary The need to develop an effective vaccine against leishmaniasis to prevent the 2 million new cases each year led to the search for antigens able to elicit protection against infection with Leishmania . In this study, we have characterized a parasite‐specific protein of Leishmania infantum named thiol‐dependent reductase 1 (TDR1). The protein is present in both life cycle stages of L. infantum with a notable higher expression in the amastigote forms, suggesting a role in the interaction between the parasite and the mammalian host. Thiol‐dependent reductase 1 is localized in the cytosol, although we were able to detect the protein in the culture medium of both promastigotes and axenic amastigotes, and consequently, TDR1 is considered an excreted/secreted molecule of the parasite. Therefore, we have evaluated the potential of TDR1 recombinant protein to protect against experimental challenge with L. infantum parasites using a murine model. Despite a reduction in spleen parasite load in the chronic phase of disease, TDR1 administration was not effective in the protection of Balb/c mice against visceral leishmaniasis and thus TDR1 do not have a crucial role in the modulation of mammalian host immune response, as observed with its protein counterpart Tc52 of Trypanosoma cruzi .