Immunization with recombinant Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2beta protein induces changes in the electrocardiogram of immunized mice.
Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with severe chronic Chagas heart disease showed a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of the Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2beta protein, previously named JL5. The main linear epitope of this polypeptide was mapped to the 13 C-terminal amino acid sequence EEEDDDMGFGLFD (named R13), which is almost identical to the mammalian ribosomal P consensus sequence EESDDDMGFGLFD (named H13). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements demonstrated that sera from patients with chronic Chagas heart disease presented a very specific anti-P humoral response with high anti-R13, but low H13 antibody levels. We attempted to develop an animal model that would reproduce, at least partially, two features of the human infection: (1) the serological pattern of the anti-P response, and (2) specific cardiac symptoms. To this effect, mice were immunized with T. cruzi P2beta recombinant protein. Immunization reproduced the typical anti-P antibody profile defined for chronic infections, but did not induce cardiac inflammatory lesions. However, it altered significantly the electrocardiograms of immunized mice. It is suggested that this assay represents a functional test for assessing the biological activity of antibodies against T. cruzi ribosomal P protein on cardiac muscle.
Lopez Bergami
P
P
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cabeza Meckert
P
P
Kaplan
D
D
Levitus
G
G
Elias
F
F
Quintana
F
F
Van Regenmortel
M
M
Laguens
R
R
Levin
M J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009206:Myocardium / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D001323:Autoantibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C064601:L12E protein, Trypanosoma cruzi; D058619:Maltose-Binding Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins