Isolation and partial characterisation of an immunogen from the mite, Psoroptes cuniculi

The immunological reactions of Psoroptes cuniculi protein components with antigen-specific rabbit antisera and with six plant lectins are described. In immunoblotting, the antisera from rabbits heavily and mildly infested with Psoroptes cuniculi recognized from two to five protein components. Affino-blotting analysis showed that eight mite components were glycoproteins with different types of glycan structures. The immunogenic antigen was isolated by both immunoaffinity chromatography and identified by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. It was a glycoprotein with a relative molecular mass of 48 kDa and with complex or high mannose type of oligosaccharides.