title: A multigene family encoding surface glycoproteins inTrypanosoma congolense.
abstract: Trypanosoma congolense, the causative agent of the most important livestock disease in Africa, expresses specific surface proteins involved in its parasitic lifestyle. Unfortunately, the complete repertoire of such molecules is far from being deciphered. As these membrane components are exposed to the host environment, they could be used as therapeutic or diagnostic targets. By mining theT. congolensegenome database, we identified a novel family of lectin-like glycoproteins (TcoClecs). These molecules are predicted to have a transmembrane domain, a tandem repeat amino acid motif, a signal peptide and a C-type lectin-like domain (CTLD). This paper depicts several experimental arguments in favor of a surface localization in bloodstream forms ofT. congolense. A TcoClec gene was heterologously expressed in U-2 OS cells and the product could be partially found at the plasma membrane. TcoClecs were also localized at the surface ofT. congolensebloodstream forms. The signal was suppressed when the cells were treated with a detergent to remove the plasma membrane or with trypsin to « shave » the parasites and remove their external proteins. This suggests that TcoClecs could be potential diagnostic or therapeutic antigens of African animal trypanosomiasis. The potential role of these proteins inT. congolenseas well as in other trypanosomatids is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux University, France.
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thonnus
authors.affiliation: Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux University, France. ; Current affiliation: CNRS UMR 5235, Montpellier 2 University, France.
authors.forename: Amandine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guérin
authors.affiliation: Fundamental Microbiology and Pathogenicity Unit, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux University, France.
authors.forename: Loïc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rivière
keywords: Trypanosoma congolense; lectin-like; multigene family; surface glycoprotein; trypanosomes