Leishmania major parasites share an epitope with the murine CD3-T cell receptor complex.
After immunization of BALB/c mice with a low molecular mass fraction (FrD; < or = 31 kDa) isolated from a soluble extract of Leishmania major promastigotes, a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) was obtained. One of these antibodies (mAb 9C) recognized a cytosol-associated antigen from L. major of approximately 21 kDa as shown by Western blot and immunoprecipitation. In addition, mAb 9C reacted with surface structures of murine splenic T cells and T cell clones. Reactivity was confined to murine cells, but was not strain restricted. Immunoprecipitation studies and surface-labeling experiments with CD4+ T cell clones and the T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3-T cell line TG40 transfected with V alpha/beta chains from human TCR and concomitant co-expression of murine CD3 suggested that mAb 9C binds to an epitope located within the murine CD3-TCR complex. In addition, mAb 9C induced strong T cell proliferation. We conclude that L. major parasites share an epitope with the murine CD3-TCR complex which is functionally important for T cell activation.
Zimmermann
S
S
Institute for Clinical Microbiology, University Erlangen, FRG.
Becker-Perez
I
I
Beuscher
H U
HU
Kroczek
R A
RA
Röllinghoff
M
M
Solbach
W
W
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D017252:CD3 Complex; D000939:Epitopes; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell