Comparison between the antigenic composition of bloodstream and cell culture-derived trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi.
Antigens of bloodstream and cell culture-derived trypomastigotes of T. cruzi were compared by western blotting using sera of chronic chagasic patients as a source of antibodies. The immunoblots demonstrated that the two forms display extensive homology except for the 85- and 52-kDa bands. These antigens were more strongly stained in culture-derived trypomastigotes. Although the reported differences are not related to major antigens, these results might offer an explanation for previous studies showing that culture-derived trypomastigotes are more antigenic and infective in vitro than bloodstream trypomastigotes.
da Silva
A M
AM
Centro de Pesquisa e Formação em Imunologia da O.M.S., Instituto Butontan, São Paulo, Brasil.
Brodskyn
C I
CI
Takehara
H A
HA
Mota
I
I
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000469:parasitology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes; D006801:Humans; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology*
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes