Molecular characterization of the kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 genes from the parasite Trypanosoma rangeli.
Trypanosomatids are early divergent parasites which include several species of medical interest. Trypanosoma rangeli is not pathogenic for humans but shows a high immunological cross-reactivity with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease that affects more than 17 million people throughout the world. Recent studies have suggested that T. cruzi KMP-11 antigen could be a good candidate for the induction of immunoprotective cytotoxic responses against T. cruzi natural infection. In the present paper the genes coding for the T. rangeli kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 have been characterized. The results show that the locus encoding this protein is formed by 4 gene units measuring 550 nucleotides in length, organized in tandem, and located in different chromosomes in KP1(+) and KP1(-) strains. The gene units are transcribed as a single mRNA of 530 nucleotides in length. Alignment of the T. rangeli KMP-11 deduced amino acid sequence with the homologous KMP-11 protein from T. cruzi revealed an identity of 97%. Interestingly, the T and B cell epitopes of the T. cruzi KMP-11 protein are conserved in the T. rangeli KMP-11 amino acid sequence.
Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7a No 43-82, Edificio 50, Laboratorio 113, Bogotá, Colombia.
H
H
Diez
M C
MC
Thomas
C P
CP
Urueña
S P
SP
Santander
C L
CL
Cuervo
M C
MC
López
C J
CJ
Puerta
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D015870:Gene Expression; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins