Immunoblotting analysis of canine Brugia malayi microfilarial antigens

Brugia malayi is a filarial parasite that causes lymphatic filariasis in human beings. Kerala (India) is endemic for human Brugian filariasis. B. malayi microfilariae, similar to that causing filariasis in human beings, have been identified in dogs in Kerala. This is the first report of western blotting analysis of canine B. malayi microfilarial proteins. SDS PAGE analysis of B. malayi microfilarial protein revealed 5 major protein bands with molecular weights of 125, 80, 64, 54 and 27 kDa. Among these, the prominent bands were those having molecular weights of 64, 54 and 27 kDa. We raised polyclonal antibodies against these somatic proteins of dog microfilariae in a rabbit. The polyclonal antibodies recognized predominantly the 54 kDa and 64 kDa antigens in a Western blot analysis. Based on previous publications with B. malayi, these two protein bands appear to be important for diagnosis and for vaccine development against lymphatic filariasis.