Skip to content
1887

Microbiology Society logo Microbiology

Volume 72, Issue 1

Some Properties of the Immunogens (Protective Antigens) of a Single Variant of Free

Abstract

SUMMARY: Column-separated, clean trypanosomes were subjected to nitrogen cavitation and ultracentrifugation (90 min, 99000 ); the supernatant contained most of the immunogens but a few remained in the well washed residue. Column chromatography yielded a strongly immunogenic protein fraction (SAF1), small doses (0·035 mg protein/dose ⨯ 4) of which protected mice against a maximum challenge of 5 ⨯ 10 of the homologous variant organisms for a minimum of 17 weeks. No heterologous (variant or strain) protection was obtained with SAF1 either with increased doses or by homologous challenge followed by heterologous challenge 3 weeks later. Disc electrophoresis of SAF1 showed four anodic components intermediate in mobility between α-macroglobulin and transferrin of normal rat serum. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicated a substantial proportion of 6·5S protein together with 3·0S and 1-1·5S proteins. A smaller soluble antigen fraction (SAF8) consisted of 2·0S protein but preliminary experiment has not shown it to be immunogenic. Infected rat plasma separated after 6 h was as effective as SAF1 in protecting mice against homologous challenge whereas rapidly separated infected rat plasma gave only slight protection. Two identical precipitinogens were detected in infected rat plasma and SAF1 by immunodiffusion. Three additional precipitinogens were present in SAF1 and one other in the infected rat plasma. Antisera raised against various trypanosome fractions, including SAF1, agglutinated the homologous trypanosomes but to a lesser extent than antisera to living trypanosomes.

Incubation of trypanosomes in either SAF1, or infected rat serum or plasma decreased their infectivity which was not altered by 8 h of incubation in normal rat plasma.

  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
© Society for General Microbiology, 1972
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101
1972-08-01
2025-03-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/micro/72/1/mic-72-1-101.html?itemId=/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. ALLSOPP B. A., NJOGU A. R., HUMPHRYES K. C. 1971; Nature and location of Trypanosoma bruce subgroup exoantigen and its relationship to 4S antigen.. Experimental Parasitology 29:271–284
     [Google Scholar]
  2. BIGALKE R. D. 1966; Observations on the antigens of some trypanosomes with special reference to common antigens.. Onderspoort Journal of Veterinary Research 33:277–286
     [Google Scholar]
  3. BROWN K. N., WILLIAMSON J. 1962a; Antigens of brucei trypanosomes.. Nature, London 194:1253–1255
     [Google Scholar]
  4. BROWN K. N., WILLIAMSON J. 1962b; Attempts to characterize the antigens of Trypanosoma rhodesiense.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 56:12
     [Google Scholar]
  5. BROWN K. N., WILLIAMSON J. 1964; The chemical composition of trypanosomes. IV. Location of antigens in subcellular fractions of Trypanosoma rhodesiense.. Experimental Parasitology 15:69–86
     [Google Scholar]
  6. CONN H. J. 1957 Manual of Microbiological Methods by the Society of American Bacteriologists,. p.180 New York:: McGraw-Hill.;
     [Google Scholar]
  7. CUNNINGHAM M. P., VICKERMAN K. 1962; An improved agglutination reaction for use in antigenic analysis of African trypanosomes.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 56:48–59
     [Google Scholar]
  8. DAVIES B. J. 1964; Disc electrophoresis. II. Method and application to human serum proteins.. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 121:404–427
     [Google Scholar]
  9. FEINBERG J. G. 1964; A new device for immunoprecipitation in agar gels.. Nature, London 201:631–632
     [Google Scholar]
  10. GILL B. S. 1965; Properties of soluble antigen of Trypanosoma evansi.. Journal of General Microbiology 38:357–361
     [Google Scholar]
  11. GODFREY D. G., KILLICK-KENDRICK R. 1967; Cyclically transmitted infections of Trypanosoma brucei T. rhodesiense and T. gambiense in chimpanzees.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 61:781–791
     [Google Scholar]
  12. HERBERT W. J., WILKINSON P. C. 1971 A Dictionary of Immunology,. p.95 Oxford and Edinburgh:: Blackwell Scientific Publications.;
     [Google Scholar]
  13. HUMPHRYES K. C. 1970; Isoelectric focusing of Trypanosoma brucei subgroup antigens in polyacrylamide gel thin layers. A method for resolving and characterizing protein -carbohydrate complexes of an enzymic and immunological nature.. Journal of Chromatography 49:503–510
     [Google Scholar]
  14. HUNTER M. J., COMMERFORD S. L. 1961; Pressure homogenization of mammalian tissues.. Biochimica et biophysica acta 47:580–586
     [Google Scholar]
  15. LANHAM S. M. 1966a Chemical analysis of trypanosomal antigens.. In Report of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine,p.11 London:: Lister Institute.;
     [Google Scholar]
  16. LANHAM S. M. 1966b; Fractionation of the antigens of Trypanosoma brucei.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 60:125–126
     [Google Scholar]
  17. LANHAM S. M. 1967 Chemical analysis of trypanosomal antigens.. In Report of the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine,p.14 London:: Lister Institute.;
     [Google Scholar]
  18. LANHAM S. M. 1968; Separation of trypanosomes from the blood of infected rats and mice by anion-exchangers.. Nature, London 218:1273–1274
     [Google Scholar]
  19. LE PAGE R. W. F. 1968 Antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei.. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cambridge.;
     [Google Scholar]
  20. LE RAY D. 1969; Analyse immuno-électrophorétique des formes de culture de Trypanosoma brucei.. Comptes rendue des séances de la Societé de Biologie 163:2783–2787
     [Google Scholar]
  21. LUMSDEN W. H. R., CUNNINGHAM M. P., WEBBER W. A. F., VAN HOEVE K., WALKER P. J. 1963; A method for the measurement of the infectivity of trypanosome suspensions.. Experimental Parasitology 14:269–279
     [Google Scholar]
  22. MEYNELL G. G., MEYNELL E. 1970 Theory and Practice in Experimental Bacteriology,. p.10 Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press.;
     [Google Scholar]
  23. NJOGU A. R. 1969; The nature of the precipitinogens of the brucei sub-group trypanosomes.. Ph.D. Thesis, London University.;
     [Google Scholar]
  24. NJOGU A. R. 1970; The heterogeneity and interrelationships of the precipitating antigens of the brucei sub-group trypanosomes.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 64:169–170
     [Google Scholar]
  25. NJOGU A. R., HUMPHRYES K. C. 1967; Electrophoretic separation of the soluble proteins of brucei sub-group trypanosomes.. Nature, London 216:280–282
     [Google Scholar]
  26. OERLICH S., MANNWEILER E. 1970; Präperative Isolierung von Partialantigenen aus Trypanosoma rhodesiense und Trypanosoma gambiense.. Zeitschrift für Tropenmedizin und Parasitologie 21:20–25
     [Google Scholar]
  27. OUCHTERLONY Ö. 1949; An in vitro test of the toxin producing capacity of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.. Lancet 1:346–353
     [Google Scholar]
  28. SEED J. R. 1963; The characterization of antigens isolated from Trypanosoma rhodesiense.. Journal of Protozoology 10:380–389
     [Google Scholar]
  29. SEED J. R., GAM A. A. 1966; The properties of antigens from Trypanosoma gambiense.. Journal of Parasitology 52:395–398
     [Google Scholar]
  30. SEED J. R., WEINMAN D. 1963; Characterization of antigens isolated from Trypanosoma rhodesiense.. Nature, London 198:197–198
     [Google Scholar]
  31. TAYLOR A. E. R., GODFREY D. G. 1970; A technique for processing trypanosomes for electron microscopy.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 64:189–190
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Taylor A. E. R., LANHAM S. M. 1972; Partial purification of immunogenic (protective) antigens of Trypanosoma brucei brucei.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 66:345–346
     [Google Scholar]
  33. VICKERMAN K. 1969; On the surface coat and flagellar adhesion of trypanosomes.. Journal of Cell Science s, 163–193
     [Google Scholar]
  34. VICKERMAN K. 1970 Morphological and physiological considerations of extracellular blood protozoa.. In Ecology and Physiology of Parasites,p.63 Edited by Fallis A. M. London:: Adam Hilger Ltd.;
     [Google Scholar]
  35. VICKERMAN K. 1972; The host-parasite interface of parasitic protozoa, some problems posed by ultra-structural studies.. Symposia of the British Society for Parasitology 10:71–91
     [Google Scholar]
  36. WARD S. 1970; An improved transverse destaining apparatus for acrylamide gels.. Analytical Biochemistry 33:259–262
     [Google Scholar]
  37. WEITZ B. 1960a; A soluble protective antigen of Trypanosoma brucei.. Nature, London 185:788–789
     [Google Scholar]
  38. WEITZ B. 1960b; The properties of some antigens of Trypanosoma brucei.. Journal of General Microbiology 23:589–600
     [Google Scholar]
  39. WILLIAMS C. A., CHASE M. W. 1967 Methods in Immunology and Immunochemistry,. vol 1pp. 201–202 London and New York:: Academic Press.;
     [Google Scholar]
  40. WILLIAMSON J. 1961; Chemical composition of trypanosomes. In Report of the first seminar on fundamental research in trypanosomiasis.. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 55:146–147
     [Google Scholar]
  41. WILLIAMSON J. 1963a; The chemical composition of trypanosomes.. Proceedings of the XVI International Congress of Zoology, Washington, D. C.: 4:189–195
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Williamson J. 1963b; The chemical composition of trypanosomes. II. Cytoplasmic constituents and drug resistance.. Experimental Parasitology 13:348–366
     [Google Scholar]
  43. WILLIAMSON J., BROWN K. N. 1964; The chemical composition of trypanosomes. III. Antigenic constituents of brucei trypanosomes.. Experimental Parasitology 15:44–68
     [Google Scholar]
  44. WILLIAMSON J., BROWN I. N., BROWN K. N. 1966; Microscale characterization of parasite antigens and antibodies by Sephadex thin-layer chromatography.. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 60:427
     [Google Scholar]
  45. WILLIAMSON J., DESOWITZ R. S. 1961; The chemical composition of trypanosomes. I. Protein, amino acid and sugar analysis.. Experimental Parasitology 11:161–175
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101
Loading
Some Properties of the Immunogens (Protective Antigens) of a Single Variant of Trypanosoma brucei brucei
Microbiology 72, 101 (1972); https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-72-1-101
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Most cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error