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Distribution of α ‐Galactosyl‐Containing Epitopes on Trypanosoma cruzi Trypomastigote and Amastigote Forms from Infected Vero Cells Detected by Chagasic Antibodies
Author(s) -
SOUTOPADRON THAIS,
ALMEIDA IGOR C.,
SOUZA WANDERLEY,
TRAVASSOS LUIZ R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1994.tb05933.x
Subject(s) - trypanosoma cruzi , amastigote , biology , vero cell , extracellular , cytoplasm , vacuole , immunogold labelling , intracellular , kinetoplastida , flagellum , antibody , microbiology and biotechnology , parasite hosting , biochemistry , in vitro , leishmania , immunology , world wide web , computer science , gene
Reactivity of different Trypanosoma cruzi developmental forms with purified Chagasic anti‐α‐galactosyl antibodies (anti‐Gal) was studied using epimastigotes from axenic cultures, trypomastigotes and amastigotes from infected Vero cell cultures, and an immunogold labeling method as observed by electron microscopy. Epimastigotes were poorly labeled, whereas extracellular trypomastigotes and amastigotes bound heterogeneously to the antibody with many cells being intensely labeled at the cell surface, including the membrane lining the cell body, the flagellum and the flagellar pocket. Parasites with poor labeling at the cell surface generally had several gold particles within the cell, mostly in cytoplasmic vacuoles. The Golgi complex of trypomastigotes was strongly labeled. Intracellular parasites were labeled at the parasite cell surface or within vacuolar structures. The expression in T. cruzi ‐infected Vero cells of α‐galactosyl antigenic structures acquired from the parasite was shown by moderate labeling with Chagasic anti‐Gal of the membrane lining parasite‐free outward cell projections. The reactivity with purified anti‐Gal from healthy individuals at the same concentrations of Chagasic anti‐Gal was poor, with gold particles appearing in the nucleus and cytoplasm but not at the cell surface. It paralleled the labeling with Bandeireae simplicifolia IB‐4 lectin. The results provide a basis for autoimmune reactions involving anti‐Gal from chronic Chagasic patients.