Evidence that the major surface proteins of three Leishmania species are structurally related

Promastigotes of Leishmania major LRC-L137, L. donovani LEM 75, and L. tropica LRC-L32 were surface radioiodinated. The proteins of the parasites were analysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and labeled molecules were revealed by fluorography. A single major iodinated protein of Mr 63 000 (p63) was identified in each of the three species. These proteins were partially purified by phase separation in Triton X-114 solution, demonstrating that the p63 of each of the three species is the most abundant integral membrane protein in the promastigote. Peptide maps were obtained by partial proteolysis with N-chlorosuccinimide or Staphylococcus V8 protease followed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The maps of L. major and L. donovani were identical, but only partially homologous to the maps of L. tropica p63. Finally, immunological crossreactivity among the three p63s was demonstrated with the serum of a mouse immunized with purified L. major p63, and the serum of a dog naturally infected with L. donovani. The data show that the major surface proteins found on promastigotes of three Old World Leishmania species are structurally related.