Expression of diagnostic 31/32 kilodalton proteins of Schistosoma mansoni as fusions with bacteriophage MS2 polymerase.
An expression plasmid pEx34b was used to synthesise parts of the 31/32 kDa Schistosoma mansoni antigens as fusions with the amino terminus of the phage MS2 polymerase. Purified MS2-schistosome fusion proteins reacted specifically in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with sera from S. mansoni-infected patients. The observation that the majority of human sera tested recognised schistosome-specific epitopes, but not the MS2 polymerase fragment, suggests that the fusion proteins are useful for the immunodiagnosis of schistosomiasis and might be incorporated in a serological test system based on recombinant antigens.
D000818:Animals; D000909:Antibodies, Helminth / Q000276:immunology; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003090:Coliphages / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D012555:Schistosomiasis mansoni / Q000276:immunology
D000909:Antibodies, Helminth; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins