title: Using T. brucei as a biological epitope-display platform to elicit specific antibody responses.
abstract: The African trypanosome (Trypanosoma brucei) is transmitted by the bite of the tsetse vector to the mammalian bloodstream where it exists as a completely extracellular parasite. As a result of this exposure, the parasite elicits a robust immune response that is almost exclusively antibody mediated, and is extremely specific to the trypanosome coat displayed on the surface. This coat is comprised of ~11 million copies of a single gpi-linked molecule (the variable surface glycoprotein or VSG) and can therefore be used as a powerful platform for the immunogenic display of antigenic determinants. Here we describe a method to display repetitive, ordered arrays of linear epitopes on the surface of T. brucei and to then use the engineered organisms to generate specific anti-epitope antibody responses, upon injection into mice. This method offers an alternative approach to generating anti-peptide antibodies, and could be a useful option in cases where more traditional methods have failed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. stavrop@mail.rockefeller.edu
authors.forename: Pete
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stavropoulos
authors.forename: F Nina
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Papavasiliou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000939:Epitopes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins
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