title: Further purification and characterization of a circulating antigen in schistosomiasis.
abstract: Previous studies showed that an antigen found in the circulation of animals heavily infected with Schistosoma mansoni was extracted in a trichloroacetic acid soluble-chloroform insoluble fraction (TCA-S-C) of adult worms. Antigenic activity was destroyed by periodate treatment but remained unaltered after treatment with proteolytic enzymes, DNase, RNase, and lyophilization. In the present study, chromatography of TCA-S-C on a DEAE cellulose column revealed six substances, one of which was antigenic. After electrophoresis in agarose antigenic activity corresponded to a slower moving, toluidine blue-staining material. A faster moving, toluidine blue-staining substance seems to be responsible for the large 260 nm, absorbing peak. Analysis of a fraction containing only antigen revealed a large amount of carbohydrate, primarily N-acetylglucosamine and D-glucuronic acid but also galactase, glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and trace amounts of other sugars. Amino acids accounted for about 11% of the weight of the antigen. The antigen appears to be a proteoglycan.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002848:Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007122:Immunoelectrophoresis; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000276:immunology*; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000276:immunology*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens