[Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii proteins from various strains]

Toxoplasma gondii the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is a worldwide intracellular protozoan parasite that infects all warm blooded animals including humans. It can be devastating to immunocompromised humans and congenital transmission may result in severe clinical spectrum. It causes economic losses due to abortus in animals. Toxoplasmosis diagnosis depends on direct and indirect methods. Besides the Sabin-Feldman test, which is accepted to be the reference test, serologic tests such as ELISA and immunofluorescence antibody tests are means of indirect diagnosis. As detected antibodies in serologic tests are correlated with antigens that cause their synthesis, it is important to know different proteins of different strains. In this study RH, Ankara and TS-4 strains were used and differences between their proteins were examined.

RH and Ankara strains were inoculated into the peritoneal cavity of mice. TS- 4 strain was produced in Vero cell culture. Tachyzoites collected by peritoneal wash were lysed and lyophilised. This was run on SDS-PAGE gel and protein bands were compared with a standard protein ladder after staining with polychromatic silver stain.

It was observed that, while Ankara and RH strains had dense bands between 60-70 kDa and at 15 kDa, the most prominent bands of TS-4 strain were 60 ve 115 kDa bands.

RH and Ankara strains have the same protein bands while TS-4 strain has different and fewer protein bands than the others.