scholarly journals Attachment of Toxoplasma gondii to Host Cells Involves Major Surface Protein, SAG-1 (P-30)

1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Mineo ◽  
L.H. Kasper
2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 3022-3030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose C. Garcia-Garcia ◽  
José de la Fuente ◽  
Gianna Bell-Eunice ◽  
Edmour F. Blouin ◽  
Katherine M. Kocan

ABSTRACT Anaplasma marginale, the causative agent of bovine anaplasmosis, is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of cattle that multiplies in erythrocytes and tick cells. Major surface protein 1a (MSP1a) and MSP1b form the MSP1 complex of A. marginale, which is involved in adhesion of the pathogen to host cells. In this study we tested the hypothesis that MSP1a and MSP1b were glycosylated, because the observed molecular weights of both proteins were greater than the deduced molecular masses. We further hypothesized that the glycosylation of MSP1a plays a role in adhesion of A. marginale to tick cells. Native and Escherichia coli-derived recombinant MSP1a and MSP1b proteins were shown by gas chromatography to be glycosylated and to contain neutral sugars. Glycosylation of MSP1a appeared to be mainly O-linked to Ser/Thr residues in the N-terminal repeated peptides. Glycosylation may play a role in adhesion of A. marginale to tick cells because chemical deglycosylation of MSP1a significantly reduced its adhesive properties. Although the MSP1a polypeptide backbone alone was adherent to tick cell extract, the glycans in the N-terminal repeats appeared to enhance binding and may cooperatively interact with one or more surface molecules on host cells. These results demonstrated that MSP1a and MSP1b are glycosylated and suggest that the glycosylation of MSP1a plays a role in the adhesion of A. marginale to tick cells.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 1746-1756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Troese ◽  
Madhubanti Sarkar ◽  
Nathan L. Galloway ◽  
Rachael J. Thomas ◽  
Sarah A. Kearns ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Many microbial pathogens alter expression and/or posttranslational modifications of their surface proteins in response to dynamics within their host microenvironments to retain optimal interactions with their host cells and/or to evade the humoral immune response. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an intragranulocytic bacterium that utilizes sialyl Lewis x (sLex)-modified P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 as a receptor for infecting myeloid cells. Bacterial populations that do not rely on this receptor can be obtained through cultivation in sLex-defective cell lines. A. phagocytophilum major surface protein 2 [Msp2(P44)] is encoded by members of a paralogous gene family and is speculated to play roles in host adaptation. We assessed the complement of Msp2(P44) paralogs expressed by A. phagocytophilum during infection of sLex-competent HL-60 cells and two HL-60 cell lines defective for sLex expression. Multiple Msp2(P44) and N-terminally truncated 25- to 27-kDa isoforms having various isoelectric points and electrophoretic mobilities were expressed in each cell line. The complement of expressed msp2(p44) paralogs and the glycosyl residues modifying Msp2(P44) varied considerably among bacterial populations recovered from sLex-competent and -deficient host cells. Thus, loss of host cell sLex expression coincided with both differential expression and glycosylation of A. phagocytophilum Msp2(P44). This reinforces the hypothesis that this bacterium is able to generate a large variety of surface-exposed molecules that could provide great antigenic diversity and result in multiple binding properties.


2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bordbar ◽  
S. Soleimani ◽  
F. Fardid ◽  
M.R. Zolfaghari ◽  
P. Parvizi

AbstractIndividual wild-caught sandflies from Iran were examined for infections of Wolbachia pipientis by targeting the major surface protein gene wsp of this intracellular α-proteobacterium. In total, 638 male and female sandflies were screened, of which 241 were found to be positive for one of three wsp haplotypes. Regardless of geographical origins and habitats, Phlebotomus (Phlebotomus) papatasi and other sandfly species were found to be infected with one common, widespread strain of A-group W. pipientis (Turk 54, GenBank accession EU780683; AY288297). In addition, a new A-group haplotype (Turk07, GenBank accession KC576916) was isolated from Phlebotomus (Paraphlebotomus) mongolensis and Phlebotomus (Pa.) caucasicus, and a new B-group haplotype (AZ2331, GenBank accession JX488735) was isolated from Phlebotomus (Larroussius) perfiliewi. Therefore, Wolbachia was found to occur in at least three of the incriminated vectors of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis and zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in different geographical regions of Iran. It may provide a new tool for the future control of leishmaniasis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 6853-6862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy C. Brown ◽  
Guy H. Palmer ◽  
Harris A. Lewin ◽  
Travis C. McGuire

ABSTRACT Native major surface protein 1 (MSP1) of the ehrlichial pathogenAnaplasma marginale induces protective immunity in calves challenged with homologous and heterologous strains. MSP1 is a heteromeric complex of a single MSP1a protein covalently associated with MSP1b polypeptides, of which at least two (designated MSP1F1 and MSP1F3) in the Florida strain are expressed. Immunization with recombinant MSP1a and MSP1b alone or in combination fails to provide protection. The protective immunity in calves immunized with native MSP1 is associated with the development of opsonizing and neutralizing antibodies, but CD4+ T-lymphocyte responses have not been evaluated. CD4+ T lymphocytes participate in protective immunity to ehrlichial pathogens through production of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), which promotes switching to high-affinity immunoglobulin G (IgG) and activation of phagocytic cells to produce nitric oxide. Thus, an effective vaccine for A. marginaleand related organisms should contain both T- and B-lymphocyte epitopes that induce a strong memory response that can be recalled upon challenge with homologous and heterologous strains. This study was designed to determine the relative contributions of MSP1a and MSP1b proteins, which contain both variant and conserved amino acid sequences, in stimulating memory CD4+ T-lymphocyte responses in calves immunized with native MSP1. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and CD4+ T-cell lines from MSP1-immunized calves proliferated vigorously in response to the immunizing strain (Florida) and heterologous strains of A. marginale. The conserved MSP1-specific response was preferentially directed to the carboxyl-terminal region of MSP1a, which stimulated high levels of IFN-γ production by CD4+ T cells. In contrast, there was either weak or no recognition of MSP1b proteins. Paradoxically, all calves developed high titers of IgG antibodies to both MSP1a and MSP1b polypeptides. These findings suggest that in calves immunized with MSP1 heteromeric complex, MSP1a-specific T lymphocytes may provide help to MSP1b-specific B lymphocytes. The data provide a basis for determining whether selected MSP1a CD4+ T-lymphocyte epitopes and selected MSP1a and MSP1b B-lymphocyte epitopes presented on the same molecule can stimulate a protective immune response.


2004 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 7360-7366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey R. Abbott ◽  
Guy H. Palmer ◽  
Chris J. Howard ◽  
Jayne C. Hope ◽  
Wendy C. Brown

ABSTRACT Organisms in the genus Anaplasma express an immunodominant major surface protein 2 (MSP2), composed of a central hypervariable region (HVR) flanked by highly conserved regions. Throughout Anaplasma marginale infection, recombination results in the sequential appearance of novel MSP2 variants and subsequent control of rickettsemia by the immune response, leading to persistent infection. To determine whether immune evasion and selection for variant organisms is associated with a predominant response against HVR epitopes, T-cell and linear B-cell epitopes were localized by measuring peripheral blood gamma interferon-secreting cells, proliferation, and antibody binding to 27 overlapping peptides spanning MSP2 in 16 cattle. Similar numbers of MSP2-specific CD4+ T-cell epitopes eliciting responses of similar magnitude were found in conserved and hypervariable regions. T-cell epitope clusters recognized by the majority of animals were identified in the HVR (amino acids [aa] 171 to 229) and conserved regions (aa 101 to 170 and 272 to 361). In contrast, linear B-cell epitopes were concentrated in the HVR, residing within hydrophilic sequences. The pattern of recognition of epitope clusters by T cells and of HVR epitopes by B cells is consistent with the influence of protein structure on epitope recognition.


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