Novel species specific antigens of trypanosoma congolense and their different localization among life-cycle stages

N Inoue1, A T Lluz, T Mori

  • 1National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.

Seven monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were raised against Trypanosoma congolense procyclic form (PCF). Localization of the antigens recognized by the mAbs was determined in bloodstream form (BSF), PCF, epimastigote form (EMF) and metacyclic form (MCF) by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Two mAbs (10F9 and 20H12) showed different fluorescent patterns among different life-cycle stages of the parasite. The 10F9 recognized a 76 kDa antigen of all life-cycle stages of the parasite and the antigen localization corresponded with that of a mitochondrion. While the 20H12 recognized 119 and 122 kDa antigens of all the life-cycle stages and the antigen localization corresponded with a flagellum in BSF and MCF, tip of a flagellum in PCF, and part of cytoplasm in EMF. Moreover, the 20H12 did not react to T. brucei gambiense, T. b. rhodesiense and T. evansi antigens in both CLSM and immunoblotting. Therefore, the antigens recognized by the 20H12 seem to be T. congolense specific. Although, further studies will be required for a full characterization of the T. congolense specific 119 and 122 kDa antigens, the mAb 20H12 and the specific antigens may be useful in not only establishment of T. congolense specific diagnosis methods but also studies on molecular mechanisms regulating differentiation of the parasite during life-cycle.

Related Concept Videos

American Trypanosomiasis01:22

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
Antiprotozoal Agents01:21

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Malaria01:29

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...