Murine immune responses to recombinant Toxoplasma gondii antigens

Recombinant proteins of the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii were produced by expression in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were established using 2 of these fusion proteins termed H4/GST and H11/GST. The assays were able to detect antibodies in the sera of mice orally infected with either the cyst or oocyst stage of a pork isolate of T. gondii. In addition, the sera from mice infected with 1 of 4 different T. gondii isolates were investigated for their binding to these fusion proteins. Antibodies in the sera of all mice bound to H11/GST, but not all sera recognized H4/GST. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to the fusion proteins were found when the mice were sensitized intradermally with H4/GST and H11/GST and challenged with the homologous fusion protein. However, no DTH response was recorded when mice were challenged with homologous fusion proteins after infection with T. gondii, or after immunization with a sonicate of the RH strain of the parasite. In addition, cellular responses were not stimulated against either of the fusion proteins in in vitro assays. These 2 fusion proteins were recognized by anti-T. gondii antibodies in experimental murine infections, and they are therefore potential candidates as antigens in assays for the diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis.