Isolation of a polysaccharide antigen from Schistosoma mansoni eggs

A polysaccharide antigen was isolated from Schistosoma mansoni egg homogenates by the phenol procedure. The crude preparation (CPEA) contained at least two antigens. The more purified antigen (PEA) was isolated by sequential enzymatic treatment of CPEA with DNase, RNase, Pronase, and alpha-amylase. PEA was resistant to boiling, freezing and thawing, mild acid and alkali, and chloroform, but was destroyed with periodate. It gave a positive reaction with anthrone reagent. PEA was eluted in the wash fraction from a DEAE cellulose collumn and in the void volume of a Sephacryl 200 column. After immunoelectrophoresis and polyacrylamide electrophoresis there was little or no migration. Amino acid analysis failed to reveal ninhydrin-positive material in the a hydrolyzate of PEA. These resluts suggested that PEA is a neutral polysaccharide with a m.w. of more than 200,000 and contains no amino acids or hexosamine. Antibodies against PEA were detected in sera obtained from mice infected with S. mansoni. PEA is different from previously described antigens derived from schistosome eggs.