GRA Proteins of Toxoplasma gondii: Maintenance of Host-Parasite Interactions across the Parasitophorous Vacuolar Membrane

The dense granule of Toxoplasma gondii is a secretory vesicular organelle of which the proteins participate in the modification of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and PV membrane for the maintenance of intracellular parasitism in almost all nucleated host cells. In this review, the archives on the research of GRA proteins are reviewed on the foci of finding GRA proteins, characterizing molecular aspects, usefulness in diagnostic antigen, and vaccine trials in addition to some functions in host-parasite interactions.

Toxoplasma gondii: cloning, sequencing, expression, and antigenic characterization of ROP2, GRA5 and GRA7

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular obligate protozoan, which infects humans and warm-blooded animals. The aim of the present study was to clone the rop2, gra5 and gra7 genes from T. gondii RH strain and to produce recombinant proteins. The rop2, gra5 and gra7 gene fragments produced by polymerase chain reaction were cloned into the pET102/D-TOPO® vector which contains thioredoxin and polyhistidine tags at the C- and N-ends, respectively, and is expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE-3). The expression fusion proteins were found almost entirely in the insoluble form in the cell lysate. These recombinant proteins were purified with an Ni-NTA column. Concentrations of the recombinant antigens produced in the E. coli BL21-star ranged from 300 to 500 μg/ml growth media, which was used to immunize rabbits. We observed an identity ranging from 96 to 97% when nucleotide sequences were compared to GenBank database sequences. Immunocharacterization of proteins was made by indirect immunofluorescence assay. These proteins will be used for serodiagnosis and vaccination.

Control of gene expression and genetic manipulation in the Trypanosomatidae

Mechanisms controlling gene expression in trypanosomatids depend on several layers of regulation, with most regulatory pathways acting at a post-transcriptional level. Consequently, these parasites can follow the rapid changes associated with transitions between the insect vector and the mammalian host, with instant reprogramming of genetic expression. Using primarily Trypanosoma brucei as a model, the basic controlling mechanisms have been elucidated and now researchers are beginning to define the cellular factors involved in the transcription, processing and translation of the mRNAs in these parasites. We describe some of the studies made on a subset of genes that are differentially expressed during the life cycles of T. brucei and T. cruzi. It is becoming evident that the regulatory strategies chosen by different species of trypanosomatids are not the same, and therefore, the lessons learned from one species do not necessarily apply to the others. Some of the tools available for genetic manipulation that have been developed along with these studies are also described. Two of them are of particular interest in this postgenomic period: inducible systems to express foreign genes and specific inhibition of gene expression by RNA interference

Antígeno B13 de Trypanosama cruzi: estudo imunológico e estrutural do reconhecimento por anticorpos de pacientes chagásicos e polimorfismo do gene correspondente / Trypanosama cruzi B13 antigen: structural and immunological study of antibodies recognition of chagasics patients and correspondent gene polymorphism

A proteína recombinante B13 contém repetições seriadas de 12 aminoácidos e corresponde a uma região do antígeno imunodominante de 140-116 KDa encontrado na superfície da forma tripomastigota de T. cruzi (cepa Y). A proteína B13 apresenta elevada sensibilidade e especificidade no diagnóstico sorológico da Doença de Chagas. A análise da distribuição de subclasses de IgG anti-B13 em soros de pacientes chagásicos cardiopatas (SCC) e de assintomáticas (SCI) mostrou o mesmo padrão: IgG1¼IgG3>IgG2>IgG4. No entanto, a média da reatividade a B13 foi maior no grupo SCC do que no grupo SCI. Dados anteriores de nosso grupo indicam que a resposta de célula T a B13 é restrita ao grupo HLA de classe II...

Regulation of T cell response to leishmania antigens by determinants of histocompatibility leukocyte class I and II molecules

It has been shown that HLA class I molecules play a significant role in the regulation of the proliferation of T cells activated by mitogens and antigens. We evaluated the ability of mAb to a framework determinant of HLA class I molecules to regulate T cell proliferation and interferon gamma (IFN-g) production against leishmania, PPD, C. albicans and tetanus toxoid antigens in patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis and healthy subjects. The anti-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mAb (W6/32) suppressed lymphocyte proliferation by 90 percent in cultures stimulated with aCD3, but the suppression was variable in cultures stimulated with leishmania antigen. This suppression ranged from 30-67 percent and was observed only in 5 of 11 patients. IFN-g production against leishmania antigen was also suppressed by anti-HLA class I mAb. In 3 patients IFN-g levels were suppressed by more than 60 percent, while in the other 2 cultures IFN-g levels were 36 and 10 percent lower than controls. The suppression by HLA class I mAb to the proliferative response in leishmaniasis patients and in healthy controls varied with the antigens and the patients or donors tested. To determine whether the suppression is directed at antigen presenting cells (APCs) or at the responding T cells, experiments with antigen-primed non-adherent cells, separately incubated with W6/32, were performed. Suppression of proliferation was only observed when the W6/32 mAb was added in the presence of T cells. These data provide evidence that a mAb directed at HLA class I framework determinants can suppress proliferation and cytokine secretion in response to several antigens

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor production by T lymphocytes in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice.

The production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by lymphocytes was examined in murine malaria. When spleen cells or lymph node cells from P. berghei-infected mice were cultured in vitro with malaria antigen, the GM-CSF production correlated with the incubation time up to 72 hours. When lymphocytes obtained at various days after infection were cultured with the antigen, GM-CSF became detectable as early as 2 days after infection, reached a peak at day 9 and then rapidly decreased. Production of GM-CSF was antigen-specific, and related to the dose of antigen. Treatment of lymphocytes with anti-Thy-1.2 antibody and complement resulted in almost complete loss of GM-CSF-producing activity, while treatment with either anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 antibody and complement resulted in partial loss of GM-CSF-producing activity, indicating that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are involved in GM-CSF production in malaria. GM-CSF exhibits glycoprotein nature, and has an apparent molecular weight of 36,000. The molecular properties of this T-cell derived GM-CSF were compared with those of known lymphokine GM-CSF.

Proteins anchored via glycosylphosphatidylinositol and solubilizing phospholipases in Trypanosoma cruzi

The presence of GPI anchors and phospholipases capable of solubilizing them in Trypanosoma cruzi has been investigated in epimastigotes, metacyclic trypomastigotes from axenic cultures and tissue culture trypomastigotes. The GPI anchored proteins in epimastigote forms are scarce when compared to their abundance in the parasite forms which can infect mammals, and GPI-solubilizing phospholipases C have been found in all life cycles stages. In epimastigote and metacyclic forms, the activity is found in the soluble fraction upon cell lysis, whereas in tissue cultured trypomastigotes it is membrane bound and, being mostly sensitive to p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate, resembles closely the GPI specific phospholipase of Trypanosoma brucei. Sequential immunoprecipitations with monoclonal antibodies and anti-CRD indicated the presence of several sub-populations among the surface proteins of metacyclic trypomastigotes, five of these belonging to the GPI-anchored 90 kD family. Among this family, the epitopes recognized by MAb-1G7 are present in three members, one of them also expressing the 3F6 epitope. There are 2 members recognized only by MAb-3F6 but not by MAb-1G7, one of them being probably galactosylated on the GPI since it can be immunoprecipitated by anti-CRD. Very strangely, the epitope recognized by the MAb-WIC29.26 was always present on the gp72, as originally described, but under certain circumstances appeared cryptic on one of the 90 kD species. During epimastigote transformation into metacyclic trypomastigotes in vitro, the ability of the GPI of the 1G7-antigen to be solubilized by phospholipase C and D varies depending on the age of the culture and presence or absence of fetal calf serum. Different patterns of solubilization were also obtained for 1G7-Ag, depending on whether the test is performed with parasite lysates or with antigen affinity purified from them. Our data indicate that the phospholipase C resistance observed does not arise from acylation on the inositol, as previously described for acetylcholinesterase from human erythrocytes, being rather due to factors which either modify the GPI or affect the action of the phospholipases...