title: Stage-specific surface antigens of metacyclic trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi identified by monoclonal antibodies.
abstract: Stage-specific Trypanosoma cruzi surface antigens were characterized by using monoclonal antibodies (MAb) which bind specifically to the metacyclic trypomastigotes derived from either the insect vector or acellular cultures. A protein with an apparent molecular weight of 90,000 was detected by the MAb 5E7 on the surface of cultured metacyclics of four strains of T. cruzi: G, CL, Y and Tulahuen. The MAb 1G7, which binds to an epitope of the 90 kDa antigen distinct from that recognized by the MAb 5E7, reacted with metacyclics of the G and Tulahuen strains but not of the Y or CL strain. A polypeptide of approximately 82 kDa, identified by the MAb 3F6, was found in the metacyclics of all four T. cruzi strains. The MAb 3F6 also detected a 75 kDa antigen in the G strain metacyclics. The stage-specific MAb and the polyclonal antibodies from mice protected against acute T. cruzi infection by immunization with killed G metacyclics identified the same set of major surface proteins of G metacyclic trypomastigotes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D003167:Complement Activation; D007303:Insect Vectors; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000954:Antigens, Surface