title: A new thrombospondin-related anonymous protein homologue in Neospora caninum (NcMIC2-like1).
abstract: Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexan protozoan that has the dog as a definitive host and cattle (among other animals) as intermediate hosts. It causes encephalopathy in dogs and abortion in cows, with significant loss in worldwide livestock. As any Apicomplexan, the parasite invades the cells using proteins contained in the phylum-specific organelles, like the micronemes, rhoptries and dense granules. The aim of this study was the characterization of a homologue (denominated NcMIC2-like1) of N. caninum thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (NcMIC2), a micronemal protein previously shown to be involved in the attachment and connection with the intracellular motor responsible for the active process of invasion. A polyclonal antiserum raised against the recombinant NcMIC2-like1 functional core (thrombospondin and integrin domains) recognized the native form of NcMIC2-like1, inhibited the in vitro invasion process and localized NcMIC2-like1 at the apical complex of the parasite by confocal immunofluorescence, indicating its micronemal localization. The new molecule, NcMIC2-like1, has features that differentiates it from NcMIC2 in a substantial way to be considered a homologue.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av do Café, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Candido-Silva
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Vries
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Yatsuda
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018688:Neospora / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014709:Vero Cells / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C069428:thrombospondin-related adhesive protein, protozoan