CHARACTERIZATION, CLONING, AND EXPRESSION OF TWO DIAGNOSTIC ANTIGENS FOR TAENIA SOLIUM TAPEWORM INFECTION

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology 2004-06, Vol.90 (3), p.631-638
• Main Authors: Levine, Min Z, Calderón S, J. C, Wilkins, Patricia P, Lane, William S, Asara, John M, Hancock, Kathy, Gonzalez, Armando E, Garcia, Hector H, Gilman, Robert H, Tsang, Victor C. W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; Amino acids; Animals; Antibiotics; antigen detection; Antigens; Antigens, Helminth - biosynthesis; Antigens, Helminth - chemistry; Antigens, Helminth - genetics; Antigens, Helminth - immunology; Baculovirus; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cloning; Cloning, Molecular; Complementary DNA; Cricetinae; Cysticercosis; Cysts; Developing countries; Diagnostic systems; diagnostic techniques; Electrophoresis; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; Enzymes; Epitopes - chemistry; Epitopes - immunology; excretory-secretory products; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gels; gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Helminth Proteins - biosynthesis; Helminth Proteins - chemistry; Helminth Proteins - genetics; Hogs; Humans; Infections; Invertebrates; isoelectric point; Laboratories; LDCs; Medical diagnosis; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; nucleotide sequences; Patients; Polymerase Chain Reaction; protein isoforms; Proteins; recombinant antigens; Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombinant Proteins - chemistry; Recombinant Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Proteins - immunology; Sensitivity analysis; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequencing; Serology; Taenia solium; Taenia solium - immunology; Taeniasis; Taeniasis - diagnosis; Taeniasis - immunology; Tapeworms; THERAPEUTICS-DIAGNOSTICS; Worms
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/GE-189R

Adult and larval stages of Taenia solium cause 2 diseases in humans, i.e., taeniasis and cysticercosis, respectively. Diagnosis and treatment of taeniasis are the ultimate means to eliminate cysticercosis. A serological taeniasis diagnostic test has been developed for laboratory use. However, recombinant forms of the taeniasis diagnostic proteins are required to overcome the limited supply of native proteins and allow the development of a low-cost and field-applicable test with high sensitivity and specificity. Using 2-dimensional electrophoresis of T. solium excretory and secretory (TSES) products from hamster adult tapeworm in vitro cultures, we have identified 5 T. solium–specific protein spots, with molecular weights of 33 kDa (protein isoelectrofocusing point [pI]: 5.6, 5.3, 5.1) and 38 kDa (pI: 4.6, 4.5). Protein sequencing and molecular cloning of these proteins showed that although endowed with different pIs, the proteins with the same molecular weights shared the same protein backbone, named TSES33 and TSES38. Their full-length complementary DNAs encode proteins with 267 and 278 amino acids, respectively. TSES33 and TSES38 were expressed in a baculovirus system. Both recombinant proteins were recognized by a panel of taeniasis, but not cysticercosis patient serum samples, indicating that they can potentially replace the native proteins in the development of a more efficacious taeniasis diagnostic test.