IDENTIFICATION OF RADIOIODINATED CUTICULAR PROTEINS AND ANTIGENS OF ONCHOCERCA-GIBSONI MICROFILARIAE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (3) , 329-342
Abstract
The filarial parasite of cattle, O. gibsoni, was used to establish procedures of antigen identification with a view to applying these techniques to studies on human filarial parasites. Emphasis has been placed on methods suitable for use with small numbers of parasites. Microfilariae (mf) of O. gibsoni were extracted from nodular worms, purified and 125I-labeled using IODO-GEN in solid-phase. Radioactivity was confined to the cuticle of sectioned mf using the technique of EM autoradiography. Radiolabeled mf were analyzed by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Autoradiographs of 125I-labeled proteins of O. gibsoni mf were relatively complex, with at least 32 proteins ranging in MW from 20,000-120,000 and displaying considerable charge heterogeneity. At least the major serum proteins of the host, albumin or Ig were not adsorbed onto the surface of these uterine mf nor detectable in the labeled surface protein patterns. Sera from infected cattle immunoprecipitated 5 labeled proteins from a Triton X-100 extract of 125I-labeled mf. Sera from either of 2 calves which had been given multiple injections of mf s.c., and which had no detectable skin mf, recognized 6 additional proteins in this extract as well as 3 of the proteins recognized by sera from infected cattle.