A Cooperia punctata gene family encoding 14 kDa excretory-secretory antigens conserved for trichostrongyloid nematodes.
A polymorphic set of 14 kDa excretory-secretory (E-S) antigen-encoding cDNAs, with similarity to a previously characterized 15 kDa E-S antigen of Haemonchus contortus, was cloned from Cooperia punctata. Five cDNAs encoding predicted proteins of 70-80% identity were sequenced. Genomic analyses of individuals proved the existence of three 14 kDa E-S antigen-encoding genes, excluding that the differences reflected polymorphisms between individuals in a population. Southern blots indicated the presence of additional members of this gene family. Thus, despite the fact that heterologously expressed C. punctata 14 kDa E-S products are shown to be recognized by immune sera, potential pitfalls in the development of a recombinant vaccine are presented by this genetic diversity. Vaccine design could be further rationalized by knowledge of the function, and possible redundancy in function, of the E-S products which is presently lacking. The limitations encountered in assigning a function to the 14/15 kDa family of E-S proteins that is thus far unique to the trichostrongyloid nematodes are discussed.
Yatsuda
A P
AP
Division of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
De Vries
E
E
Vieira Bressan
M C
MC
Eysker
M
M
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D014644:Genetic Variation; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014251:Trichostrongyloidea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014252:Trichostrongyloidiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary
D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D018509:DNA, Helminth; D011994:Recombinant Proteins