title: The kinetoplastid membrane protein 11 of Leishmania donovani and African trypanosomes is a potent stimulator of T-lymphocyte proliferation.
abstract: Kinetoplastid membrane protein 11 (KMP-11) from Leishmania donovani is an abundant 11-kDa surface membrane glycoprotein. Lymph node cells from mice of six different H-2 haplotypes immunized with KMP-11 or with L. donovani promastigotes were stimulated to proliferate in vitro KMP-11. Primed purified T cells required antigen presentation since they were not stimulated unless KMP-11-pulsed or L. donovani-infected macrophages were added. Promastigotes of a wide variety of Leishmania species and procyclic forms of African trypanosomes stimulated proliferation of KMP-11-primed or L. donovani promastigote-primed lymph node cells. All of the Leishmania promastigotes and African trypanosomes tested contained an 11-kDa protein, as detected by immunoblotting with KMP-11-specific monoclonal antibodies. The widespread distribution of the 11-kDa (KMP-11) molecules and their ability to stimulate strong T-lymphocyte proliferation in a non-H-restricted fashion suggest that they may be important molecules for induction of cell-mediated immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiolgy, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tolson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jardim
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Schnur
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stebeck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tuckey
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Beecroft
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Teh
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Olafson
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C090009:kinetoplastid membrane protein 11, Leishmania donovani; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan