Schistosome heat-shock proteins are immunologically distinct host-like antigens.
Constitutively expressed schistosome homologues of heat-shock protein Hsp70 elicit a dominant antibody response in humans infected with either Schistosoma japonicum or Schistosoma mansoni; in each case the parasite antigens are immunologically distinct and noncrossreactive. The antigenic site of the homologues is located near their carboxyl terminus where phylogenetic divergence between Hsp70 proteins is greatest. Nucleotide sequence comparison between these regions predicts very few amino acid differences between the schistosome protein and that of their human host. Thus strikingly limited diversity is sufficient to elicit a discriminatory antibody response to these parasite host-like antigens.
Hedstrom
R
R
School of Public Health, Naval Biosciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.
Culpepper
J
J
Schinski
V
V
Agabian
N
N
Newport
G
G
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012549:Schistosoma japonicum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D000939:Epitopes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins