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Babesia bovis merozoite surface antigen 2 proteins are expressed on the merozoite and sporozoite surface, and specific antibodies inhibit attachment and invasion of erythrocytes.
| Title | Babesia bovis merozoite surface antigen 2 proteins are expressed on the merozoite and sporozoite surface, and specific antibodies inhibit attachment and invasion of erythrocytes. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2002 |
| Authors | Mosqueda, J, McElwain, TF, Palmer, GH |
| Journal | Infect Immun |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Pagination | 6448-55 |
| Date Published | 2002 Nov |
| ISSN | 0019-9567 |
| Keywords | Animals, Antibodies, Protozoan, Antigens, Protozoan, Babesia bovis, Cattle, Erythrocytes, Merozoite Surface Protein 1, Mice, Protozoan Proteins, Rabbits, Sporozoites |
| Abstract | The Babesia bovis merozoite surface antigen 2 (MSA-2) locus encodes four proteins, MSA-2a(1), -2a(2), -2b, and -2c. With the use of specific antibodies, each MSA-2 protein was shown to be expressed on the surface of live extracellular merozoites and coexpression on single merozoites was confirmed. Individual antisera against MSA-2a, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c significantly inhibited merozoite invasion of bovine erythrocytes. As tick-derived sporozoites also directly invade erythrocytes, expression of each MSA-2 protein on the sporozoite surface was examined and verified. Finally, statistically significant inhibition of sporozoite binding to the erythrocytes was demonstrated by using antisera specific for MSA-2a, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c. These results indicate an important role for MSA-2 proteins in the initial binding and invasion of host erythrocytes and support the hypothesis that sporozoites and merozoites use common surface molecules in erythrocyte invasion. |
| Alternate Journal | Infect. Immun. |
| PubMed ID | 12379726 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC130353 |
