title: Angiogenic activity of an Onchocerca volvulus Ancylostoma secreted protein homologue.
abstract: Angiogenesis is an important step in the development of ocular onchocercaisis. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that Onchocerca volvulus homologues of the Ancylostoma secreted protein family have pronounced angiogenic activity. The overall goal of the current study was to determine if this angiogenic effect is exerted through a direct or indirect mechanism. These studies focused on one member of this family, OvASP-2, as this protein is expressed in microfilaria, the stage of the parasite that causes ocular onchocercaisis. Clones encoding truncated and full length open reading frames were expressed as fusion proteins with Escherichia coli maltose binding protein (MBP), and angiogenic activity was compared in vitro and in vivo with MBP alone. Truncated constructs expressing only the first 105 amino acids of OvASP-2 were as active as the full length protein in inducing new blood vessel formation. The full length fusion protein did not stimulate proliferation or production of vascular endothelial growth factor in vascular endothelial cells in vitro, indicating that OvASP-2 does not directly stimulate angiogenesis. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the gene encoding OvASP-2 contained five introns. Sequence comparisons of the genomic loci from West African blinding and non-blinding strains of O. volvulus revealed that some polymorphism existed among the various isolates tested. However, none of these polymorphisms could be used to differentiate the parasite strains, suggesting that qualitative variation in OvASP-2 could not explain the difference in ocular pathogenic potential of the two parasite strains.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geographic Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, BBRB 203, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170, USA.
authors.forename: Tarig B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Higazi
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pearlman
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Whikehart
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Unnasch
mesh_terms: D000722:Ancylostoma / Q000378:metabolism; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003315:Cornea / Q000098:blood supply*; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004727:Endothelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors