title: Molecular characterization of a novel 32-kDa merozoite antigen of Babesia gibsoni with a better diagnostic performance by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
abstract: We cloned and expressed a novel gene encoding a 32-kDa merozoite protein of Babesia gibsoni (BgP32). The length of nucleotide sequence of the cDNA was 1464 bp with an open reading frame of 969 bp. The truncated recombinant BgP32 (rBgP32) without a signal peptide and C-terminal hydrophobic sequence was expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein. Western blotting demonstrated that the native protein was 32-kDa, consistent with molecular weight of the predicted mature polypeptide. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using rBgP32 detected specific antibodies from 8 days to 541 days post-infection in the sequential sera from a dog experimentally infected with B. gibsoni. Moreover, the antigen did not cross-react with B. canis subspecies and closely related protozoan parasites, indicating that rBgP32 is a specific diagnostic antigen. Analysis of 47 sera taken from dogs with anaemic signs revealed that rBgP32 detected a higher proportion of B. gibsoni seropositive samples (77%) than its previously identified rBgP50 (68%) homologue. These results indicate that the BgP32 is a novel immunodominant antigen of B. gibsoni, and rBgP32 might be useful for diagnosis of B. gibsoni infection.
authors: National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
authors: G O
authors: GO
authors: Aboge
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Jia
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Kuriki
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Zhou
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Nishikawa
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Igarashi
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Fujisaki
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Suzuki
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Xuan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D001403:Babesia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D052940:Merozoites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan