Skip to main content
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1987 Jul 1;166(1):142–150. doi: 10.1084/jem.166.1.142

Trichomonas vaginalis phenotypic variation occurs only among trichomonads infected with the double-stranded RNA virus

PMCID: PMC2188647  PMID: 3298522

Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis isolates were examined for the presence of viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and the property of phenotypic variation. Only the heterogeneous isolates composed of mAb-reactive and - nonreactive organisms, as determined by indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytofluorometry, and capable of phenotypic variation possessed the dsRNA. Both the positive and negative phenotype subpopulations separated from the heterogeneous parent contained equal amounts of the dsRNA. Loss of the dsRNA upon prolonged in vitro cultivation always correlated with the lack of expression of the major immunogen. The data indicate a relationship between the presence of the dsRNA and the ability of the pathogenic human trichomonads to express immunogens on their surfaces and to undergo phenotypic variation.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (652.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alderete J. F., Demes P., Gombosová A., Valent M., Yánoska A., Fabusová H., Kasmala L., Garza G. E., Metcalfe E. C. Phenotypes and protein-epitope phenotypic variation among fresh isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis. Infect Immun. 1987 May;55(5):1037–1041. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.5.1037-1041.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Alderete J. F., Garza G. E. Specific nature of Trichomonas vaginalis parasitism of host cell surfaces. Infect Immun. 1985 Dec;50(3):701–708. doi: 10.1128/iai.50.3.701-708.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alderete J. F., Garza G., Smith J., Spence M. Trichomonas vaginalis: electrophoretic analysis and heterogeneity among isolates due to high-molecular-weight trichomonad proteins. Exp Parasitol. 1986 Apr;61(2):244–251. doi: 10.1016/0014-4894(86)90158-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Alderete J. F., Kasmala L., Metcalfe E., Garza G. E. Phenotypic variation and diversity among Trichomonas vaginalis isolates and correlation of phenotype with trichomonal virulence determinants. Infect Immun. 1986 Aug;53(2):285–293. doi: 10.1128/iai.53.2.285-293.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Alderete J. F., Pearlman E. Pathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis cytotoxicity to cell culture monolayers. Br J Vener Dis. 1984 Apr;60(2):99–105. doi: 10.1136/sti.60.2.99. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Alderete J. F., Suprun-Brown L., Kasmala L. Monoclonal antibody to a major surface glycoprotein immunogen differentiates isolates and subpopulations of Trichomonas vaginalis. Infect Immun. 1986 Apr;52(1):70–75. doi: 10.1128/iai.52.1.70-75.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Alderete J. F., Suprun-Brown L., Kasmala L., Smith J., Spence M. Heterogeneity of Trichomonas vaginalis and discrimination among trichomonal isolates and subpopulations with sera of patients and experimentally infected mice. Infect Immun. 1985 Sep;49(3):463–468. doi: 10.1128/iai.49.3.463-468.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. DIAMOND L. S. The establishment of various trichomonads of animals and man in axenic cultures. J Parasitol. 1957 Aug;43(4):488–490. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Peterson K. M., Alderete J. F. Host plasma proteins on the surface of pathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis. Infect Immun. 1982 Aug;37(2):755–762. doi: 10.1128/iai.37.2.755-762.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Peterson K. M., Alderete J. F. Iron uptake and increased intracellular enzyme activity follow host lactoferrin binding by Trichomonas vaginalis receptors. J Exp Med. 1984 Aug 1;160(2):398–410. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.2.398. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Peterson K. M., Alderete J. F. Trichomonas vaginalis is dependent on uptake and degradation of human low density lipoproteins. J Exp Med. 1984 Nov 1;160(5):1261–1272. doi: 10.1084/jem.160.5.1261. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Wang A. L., Wang C. C. A linear double-stranded RNA in Trichomonas vaginalis. J Biol Chem. 1985 Mar 25;260(6):3697–3702. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wang A. L., Wang C. C. Discovery of a specific double-stranded RNA virus in Giardia lamblia. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1986 Dec;21(3):269–276. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(86)90132-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wang A. L., Wang C. C. The double-stranded RNA in Trichomonas vaginalis may originate from virus-like particles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Oct;83(20):7956–7960. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.20.7956. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES