Membrane-bound cysteine proteinase isoforms in different developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi

Cysteine proteinase isoforms, immunologically cross-reactive with cruzipain and with a similar apparent molecular mass, have been identified in epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi by extraction and phase partition using the detergent Triton X-114. These isoforms are concentrated in the microsomal fraction obtained after differential centrifugation, which is known to consist essentially of plasma membrane, can be labelled by incubation of live parasites with sulfo-NHS-biotin, and bind to cystatin-sepharose affinity columns. They are present, albeit with a different electrophoretic pattern, in the epimastigote, amastigote and trypomastigote stages of the parasite.