title: Fasciola hepatica procathepsin L3 protein expressed by a baculovirus recombinant can partly protect rats against fasciolosis.
abstract: Fasciola hepatica juveniles express immunodominant cathepsin L proteins, which are mainly found in their immature, procathepsin form. A gene encoding such a procathepsin L (FheCL3) was expressed by a baculovirus recombinant and by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The glycosylated FheCL3 proteins obtained by both systems were used in a vaccination/challenge experiment in rats. Both antigens evoked similar antibody responses, but only the baculovirus expressed FheCL3 caused a significant protection against the number of liver flukes (52% protection, P=0.01), whereas the S. cerevisiae expressed FheCL3 did not. In a second experiment in rats, deglycosylated versions of both antigens were used, but this did not improve their efficacies.
authors.affiliation: University of Gdańsk, Department of Molecular Virology, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reszka
authors.forename: Jan B W J
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
authors.forename: Michiel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Harmsen
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bieńkowska-Szewczyk
authors.forename: Joop
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Bree
authors.forename: Wim J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Boersma
authors.forename: Frans A M
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rijsewijk
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000276:immunology*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000276:immunology*; D005210:Fasciola hepatica / Q000276:immunology*; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D002403:Cathepsins; C063905:procathepsin L; D056668:Cathepsin L