title: Mapping of the antigenic determinants of the Leishmania infantum gp63 protein recognized by antibodies elicited during canine visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: The gp63 gene encoding the major surface antigen of Leishmania infantum has been cloned and sequenced. In spite of the overall sequence homology with the gp63 genes from other Leishmania species, particularly with the constitutively expressed Leishmania chagasi Gp63 gene, the carboxy-terminal ends of these genes are clearly divergent (62% homology). To study the prevalence of anti-gp63 antibodies in the sera from dogs with visceral leishmaniasis, a recombinant L. infantum gp63 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli. It was found that 100% of the sera from these dogs recognized the recombinant gp63 protein, suggesting that it must function as a potent B cell immunogen during natural canine visceral leishmaniasis. However, heterogeneity in the level of response was observed. Fine mapping of the antigenic determinants was performed by means of 6 overlapping subfragments of the gp63 protein and by the use of a library of synthetic peptides. The data showed that there is some degree of immunological restriction in the recognition of the protein since reactivity was observed preferentially against the most divergent region. The epitope mapping of this region showed 2 immunodominant peptides the response to which seems to be preferentially of the IgG2 type.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Requena
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guzman
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Patarroyo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004285:Dogs; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology*; D005807:Genes, Overlapping; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C055146:glycoprotein gp63, Leishmania