title: Cloning of the immunodominant 17-kDa antigen from Cryptosporidium parvum.
abstract: Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum causes a self-limiting diarrheal illness in immunocompetent humans and is associated with the development of a serum IgG antibody response dominated by the 27-kDa and 17-kDa parasite surface antigens. Antibodies against the 27-kDa and 17-kDa antigens may serve as useful markers for past infection in population-based studies of the risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection. A recombinant form of the 17-kDa antigen would be useful both in epidemiologic studies and in studies of the role of the humoral response in immunity. We have partially purified and sequenced the immunodominant 17-kDa surface antigen from sporozoites, and we have cloned a 975 bp open reading frame from C. parvum that includes all of the 17-kDa antigen peptide sequences. We show immunologic identity between a recombinant form of the protein and the native 17-kDa antigen. We conclude that the carboxy-terminal fragment of the cloned protein is the authentic 17-kDa antigen.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, US Department of Health and Human Services, Mail Stop F-13, Building 23, Room 1025, 4770 Buford Highway N.E., Atlanta, GA, USA. jip8@cdc.gov
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Priest
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Arrowood
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lammie
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D017931:DNA Primers; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins