Detection of an Anaplasma marginale common surface protein present in all stages of infection

The establishment and maintenance of anaplasmosis-free cattle herds is impaired due to the lack of a rapid, sensitive, and specific serologic test to detect persistently infected cattle which serve as carriers for the organism. To develop an improved diagnostic test for anaplasmosis we screened Anaplasma marginale initial body proteins to identify a protein common to antigenically different isolates that is recognized by the host immune system at all stages of infection. Seronegative cattle were infected with either the Florida, Virginia, or North Texas isolate of A. marginale and monitored for infection by daily examination of Wright-stained blood smears for parasitized erythrocytes. Sera from cattle at different stages of infection, from acute through persistent, were used to immunoprecipitate A. marginale proteins that were metabolically radiolabeled with [35S]methionine or surface radiolabeled with 125I. Multiple A. marginale proteins were recognized by using sera either undiluted or at 1:10; however, only four or five proteins were sufficiently antigenic to elicit antibody reactive with a 1:1,000 serum dilution. A single protein with an apparent molecular mass of 86 kilodaltons was consistently recognized at all stages of infection regardless of the isolate used to infect the cattle. This protein was demonstrated to be on the surface of the A. marginale initial body and to be water soluble. We propose use of this 86-kilodalton protein to develop an improved serologic test for diagnosis of bovine anaplasmosis.