title: Immunization with recombinant paraflagellar rod protein induces protective immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi infection.
abstract: In the present study, we have produced recombinant paraflagellar rod proteins (PFR) and report their use for successful vaccination of mice against Trypanosoma cruzi. This protection is associated with a highly polarized type 1 cytokine production profile. Additionally, we have analyzed the gene sequence encoding PFR-2 to determine the degree of conservation among seven highly diverse strains of T. cruzi, and found it to be highly conserved. The results presented here indicate that the PFR antigens are highly conserved, and immunization with rPFR-1, PFR-2, or an equimolar mix of the PFR-1, -2, and -3 proteins provides protective immunity against Trypanosoma cruzi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, 3205 McGaugh Hall, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Luhrs
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Fouts
authors.forename: Jerry E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Manning
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins