Abstract
We have cloned and characterized the gene for an immunodominant antigen of O. volvulus that is recognized by the sera of 96% of patients with onchocerciasis. Its 1.2-kb mRNA constitutes 0.3% of adult worm poly(A)+ RNA and its cDNA sequence reveals that it is not a highly conserved structural protein such as actin or tubulin. Similar but not identical genes occur in the genomes of related filarie, Brugia malayi and Dirofilaria immitis. The recombinant antigen has both immunodiagnostic and immunoprophylactic significance.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (428.9 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Balloul J. M., Sondermeyer P., Dreyer D., Capron M., Grzych J. M., Pierce R. J., Carvallo D., Lecocq J. P., Capron A. Molecular cloning of a protective antigen of schistosomes. Nature. 1987 Mar 12;326(6109):149–153. doi: 10.1038/326149a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Burnette W. N. "Western blotting": electrophoretic transfer of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gels to unmodified nitrocellulose and radiographic detection with antibody and radioiodinated protein A. Anal Biochem. 1981 Apr;112(2):195–203. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(81)90281-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Duke B. O. Observations on Onchocerca volvulus in experimentally infected chimpanzees. Tropenmed Parasitol. 1980 Mar;31(1):41–54. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Erttmann K. D., Unnasch T. R., Greene B. M., Albiez E. J., Boateng J., Denke A. M., Ferraroni J. J., Karam M., Schulz-Key H., Williams P. N. A DNA sequence specific for forest form Onchocerca volvulus. Nature. 1987 Jun 4;327(6121):415–417. doi: 10.1038/327415a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lanar D. E., Pearce E. J., James S. L., Sher A. Identification of paramyosin as schistosome antigen recognized by intradermally vaccinated mice. Science. 1986 Oct 31;234(4776):593–596. doi: 10.1126/science.3094144. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lucius R., Büttner D. W., Kirsten C., Diesfeld H. J. A study on antigen recognition by onchocerciasis patients with different clinical forms of disease. Parasitology. 1986 Jun;92(Pt 3):569–580. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000065458. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Perler F. B., Karam M. Cloning and characterization of two Onchocerca volvulus repeated DNA sequences. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 1986 Nov;21(2):171–178. doi: 10.1016/0166-6851(86)90020-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schulz-Key H., Albiez E. J., Büttner D. W. Isolation of living adult Onchocerca volvulus from nodules. Tropenmed Parasitol. 1977 Dec;28(4):428–430. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shah J. S., Karam M., Piessens W. F., Wirth D. F. Characterization of an Onchocerca-specific DNA clone from Onchocerca volvulus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1987 Sep;37(2):376–384. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1987.37.376. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smith D. B., Davern K. M., Board P. G., Tiu W. U., Garcia E. G., Mitchell G. F. Mr 26,000 antigen of Schistosoma japonicum recognized by resistant WEHI 129/J mice is a parasite glutathione S-transferase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Nov;83(22):8703–8707. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.22.8703. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Thomas P. S. Hybridization of denatured RNA and small DNA fragments transferred to nitrocellulose. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Sep;77(9):5201–5205. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.9.5201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]