title: Shared antigenicity between the polar filaments of myxosporeans and other Cnidaria.
abstract: Nematocysts containing coiled polar filaments are a distinguishing feature of members of the phylum Cnidaria. As a first step to characterizing the molecular structure of polar filaments, a polyclonal antiserum was raised in rabbits against a cyanogen bromide-resistant protein extract of mature cysts containing spores of Myxobolus pendula. The antiserum reacted only with proteins associated with extruded polar filaments. Western blot and whole-mount immunohistochemical analyses indicated a conservation of polar filament epitopes between M. pendula and 2 related cnidarians, i.e., the anthozoan, Nematostella vectensis, and the hydrozoan, Hydra vulgaris. This conservation of polar filament epitopes lends further support to a shared affinity between Myxozoa and cnidarians.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.
authors.forename: Maurice J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ringuette
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.forename: Sherwin S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Desser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003063:Cnidaria / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D016616:Cryoultramicrotomy; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000469:parasitology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D005880:Gills / Q000469:parasitology; D006829:Hydra / Q000276:immunology; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D055766:Myxobolus / Q000276:immunology*; D058894:Nematocyst / Q000276:immunology; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000469:parasitology; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits; D012615:Sea Anemones / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D011506:Proteins