title: Inhibitory effect of monoclonal antibodies on the growth of Babesia caballi.
abstract: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced against Babesia caballi (USDA strain) to define a species-specific antigen for use in diagnosis and vaccine development. Eight positive clones of B. caballi mAbs determined by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test were selected for purification and further characterisation. Confocal laser microscopy showed that the antigens recognised by the mAbs were located on the surface/cytoplasm, central part, and/or anterior end of B. caballi parasites, with five different reactive patterns. These mAbs seemed to be species-specific, since they did not cross-react with Babesia equi-infected erythrocytes or uninfected erythrocytes. In Western blotting analysis, 18, 20, 34, 36, 48, and 155 kDa proteins of B. caballi merozoites were recognised by six different mAbs. When added to in vitro cultures, four of the mAbs significantly inhibited the in vitro growth of B. caballi parasites. These results provide a rationale for evaluating antigens for the development of diagnostic methods or vaccines.
authors.affiliation: The Research Center for Protozoan Molecular Immunology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikadai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xuan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujisaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D001403:Babesia / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006736:Horses; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines