title: Ceramide glycosylation and fatty acid hydroxylation influence serological reactivity in Trypanosoma cruzi glycosphingolipids.
abstract: Ceramide mono (CMH) or dihexoside (CDH) fractions from Trypanosoma cruzi (Dm28c clone) were identified as glucosyl and lactosylceramides containing non-hydroxylated fatty acids. The di-glycosylated form was much more efficiently recognized by sera from T. cruzi-immunized rabbits, indicating that glycosylation influences antigenicity. Fatty acid hydroxylation was also a determinant of serological reactivity, since an alpha-hydroxylated CMH, only present at the Y clone, was recognized by the hyperimmune sera. In summary, these data indicate that T. cruzi CMHs with non-hydroxylated fatty acids are unable to induce antibody responses in animal hosts, which is reverted by the addition of a sugar residue or an alpha-hydroxyl group.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Villas-Boas
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wait
authors.forename: Rosana B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Marcio L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barreto-Bergter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006031:Glycosylation; D006900:Hydroxylation; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D002518:Ceramides; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006028:Glycosphingolipids