Variety of serotypes of Paramecium primaurelia: single epitopes are responsible for immunological differentiation

Paramecium primaurelia expresses three major types of surface antigens. We report here the identification of the gene for serotype S, which completes the sequence data of expressed serotypes of P. primaurelia. The complete open reading frame of surface antigen S was identified using a novel technique, based upon the presence of conservative regions in the non-coding areas of the multigene family. We were able to isolate the 7194-bp-long open reading frame from the macronuclear DNA for Serotype 156S. The corresponding mRNA was detected in the two serotype S-expressing stocks, 60 and 156, of P. primaurelia, which clarifies that both stocks are using the same S allele. Comparisons of the nucleic acid and the deduced amino-acid sequence showed high identity to surface antigen 51B of P. tetraurelia, sufficient to cause an immunological cross-reaction in vivo. Immunologically relevant epitopes in vivo were identified in the central regions of the genes, constructed of nearly perfect tandem repeats.