title: Expression analysis of heat shock protein 20 and rhoptry-associated protein 1a in sexual stages and kinetes of Babesia bigemina.
abstract: Heat shock protein 20 (HSP-20) and rhoptry-associated protein 1a (RAP-1a) are two proteins considered as candidates to be included in vaccines or diagnostics methods for the control of bovine babesiosis. It has been hypothesized that both genes have a basic function in the cellular physiology of erythrocyte-infecting stages; it is not known if they have a functional role in tick stages. The objective of this work was to analyze whether hsp-20 and rap-1a are expressed in sexual stages and kinetes of Babesia bigemina. Purified RNA from sexual stages and kinetes was analyzed by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR with specific primers for hsp-20 or rap-1a. Expression analysis was carried out using an indirect immunofluorescence test with specific antibodies against HSP-20 and RAP-1a. Results obtained by RT-PCR showed amplicons for hsp-20 and rap-1a in sexual stages and kinetes. Positive signals were also detected when sexual stages and kinetes were analyzed with specific antibodies for HSP-20 and RAP-1a. The results obtained here confirm the hypothesis that the genes hsp-20 and rap-1a from B. bigemina are expressed in sexual stages and kinetes and stress the importance of these proteins in the cellular physiology of tick stages.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitologia, Veterinaria-Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Jiutepec, Morelos, México.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vichido
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falcon
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Julio V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Norimine
authors.forename: Wendy C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mosqueda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins