Insights into the role of gp63-like proteins in lower trypanosomatids.
Any actual understanding of trypanosomatids in general requires a comprehensive analysis of the less-specialized species as thorough as our knowledge of the more specialized Leishmania and Trypanosoma. In this context, we have shown by antibody cross-reactivity that purified extracellular metallopeptidases from Phytomonas françai, Crithidia deanei (cured strain) and Crithidia guilhermei share common epitopes with the leishmanial gp63. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy analyses indicated the presence of gp63-like molecules on the cell surface of these lower trypanosomatids. Binding assays with explanted guts of Aedes aegypti incubated with purified gp63 and the pretreatment of trypanosomatids with anti-gp63 antibodies indicated that the gp63-like molecules are involved in the adhesive process of these trypanosomatids to the A. aegypti gut wall. In addition, our results indicate for the first time that the gp63-like molecule binds to a polypeptide of 50 kDa on the A. aegypti gut epithelium extract.
Masini d'Avila-Levy
Claudia
C
Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
de Almeida Dias
Felipe
F
Nogueira de Melo
Ana Cristina
AC
Martins
Juliana Lopes
JL
De Carvalho Santos Lopes
Angela Hampshire
AH
Souza Dos Santos
André Luis
AL
Vermelho
Alane Beatriz
AB
Branquinha
Marta Helena
MH
D000330:Aedes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003421:Crithidia / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology
D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C055146:glycoprotein gp63, Leishmania