Immunization with recombinant beta-tubulin from Trypanosoma evansi induced protection against T. evansi, T. equiperdum and T. b. brucei infection in mice.
The beta-tubulin gene of Trypanosoma evansi (STIB 806) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The predicted amino acid sequence of T. evansi beta-tubulin shows 100%, 99.8%, 99.1%, and 98.6% homology with T. equiperdum, T. b. brucei, T. cruzi and T. danilewskyi, respectively, but is diverse from that of T. cyclops, showing only 51.6% of homology. Recombinant beta-tubulin was expressed as inclusion bodies in E. coli. It was purified and renatured for immunological studies. Mice immunized with the renatured recombinant beta-tubulin were protected from lethal challenge with T. evansi STIB 806, T. equiperdum STIB 818 and T. b. brucei STIB 940, showing 83.3%, 70% and 76.7% protection, respectively. Serum collected from the rabbit immunized with recombinant beta-tubulin inhibited the growth of T. evansi, T. equiperdum and T. b. brucei in vitro. Serum from mice and rabbits immunized with recombinant beta-tubulin recognized only T. evansi beta-tubulin and not mouse beta-tubulin. The results of this study demonstrated that the recombinant T. evansi beta-tubulin is a potential candidate for the development of a vaccine to prevent animal trypanosomiasis caused by these three trypanosome species.
Li
S-Q
SQ
Centre for Parasitic Organisms, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
Fung
M-C
MC
Reid
S A
SA
Inoue
N
N
Lun
Z-R
ZR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007114:Immunization; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016052:Protozoan Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014404:Tubulin