title: Molecular characterization of a kinesin-related antigen of Leishmania chagasi that detects specific antibody in African and American visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: We report the cloning of a Leishmania chagasi antigen gene and an evaluation of leishmaniasis patient antibody responses to the recombinant protein, rK39. rK39 contains a 39-amino acid repeat that is part of a 230-kDa protein predominant in L. chagasi tissue amastigotes. Sequence analyses showed this protein, LcKin, to be related to the kinesin superfamily of motor proteins. Southern blot analyses demonstrated LcKin-related sequences in seven species of Leishmania, with conservation of the repeat between L. chagasi and Leishmania donovani. Serological evaluation revealed that 98% (56 of 57) of Brazilian and 100% (52 of 52) of Sudanese visceral leishmaniasis patients have high antibody levels to the rK39 repeat. Detectable anti-K39 antibody was virtually absent in cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis patients and in individuals infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. The data show that rK39 may replace crude parasite antigens as a basis for serological diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, WA 98109.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Shreffler
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ghalib
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badaro
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016547:Kinesins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C079252:LcKin protein, Leishmania chagasi;; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C079253:K39 antigen, Leishmania; D016547:Kinesins