[An indirect ELISA for the detection of Babesia caballi in equine animals].

OBJECTIVE: To clone and express BC48 gene of Babesia caballi, and to establish an indirect ELISA for the diagnosis of B. caballi in equine animals. METHOD: The genomic DNA of B. caballi was extracted from the infected donkey blood. BC48 gene was amplified by PCR. The PCR product was cloned into expression plasmid pET28a, and expressed in E. coli BL21 with IPTG induction. The recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chro-matography and was used as a diagnostic antigen to establish an indirect ELISA. The reaction conditions of the indirect ELISA were optimized. Specificity and sensitivity of this method were evaluated. RESULT: BC48 gene of B. caballi was 1 272 bp. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli BL21 as a soluble protein with a molecular weight of about M, 46 000 under induction of IPTG. The concentration of purified protein was 12.98 mg/ml. The best conditions were obtained for the ELISA when the antigen concentration was 65 microg/ml with the serum dilution of 1:80. The protein specifically reacted with serum from donkey infected by B. caballi, but did not react with serum from donkey infected by Theileria equi (B. equi). Both ELISA and microscopy were applied to examine 17 donkeys in the field, 3 were positive by ELISA and 2 were found parasite-positive, respectively. CONCLUSION: The indirect ELISA method may be used to detect B. caballi infection in equine animals.

[Construction of cDNA expression library of unfed female Haemaphysalis longicornis and immuno-screening].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a cDNA expression library from unfed female tick Haemaphysalis longicornis for screening and cloning potential antigenic genes. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from unfed female ticks, mRNA was purified and a library of oligo (dT) -primed cDNA with added directional EcoR I /Hind III linkers was constructed from the purified mRNA. The constructed cDNA was ligated to the EcoR I /Hind III arms of the lambda SCREEN vector. Pure phage stocks were harvested by plaque purification and converted to plasmid subclones by plating phage on host strain BM25.8. Recombinant plasmids that were subcloned to E. coli BM25.8 were isolated and transformed into E. coli JM109. Recombinant plasmids abstracted from JM109 were identified by PCR and sequencing. RESULTS: The recombinant phage DNA was packaged by using phage-marker packaging extracts, resulting in a primary cDNA library with a size of 1.8 x 10(6) pfu. Data showed 100% of the library were recombinant and the titer of the amplified library was 2.4 x 10(9) pfu/ml. Forty-two clones of encoding immunodominant antigens were obtained from the cDNA library. Sequence analysis revealed 12 unique cDNA sequences and the encoded putative proteins showed similarities to H. longicornis tropomyosin mRNA, Rhipicephalus annulatus unknown larval protein mRNA, chromosome 2R of Drosophila melanogaster, mitochondrial DNA of H. flava, clones HqL09 unkown mRNA and Hq05 mRNA of H. qinghaiensis, and myosin alkali light chain protein mRNA. CONCLUSION: The cDNA expression library from unfed female H. longicornis was successfully constructed and screening of protective genes may provide candidate antigens of the tick.

[Construction of cDNA expression library of salivary gland from Boophilus microplus].

Total RNA were isolated from salivary gland dissected from partially engorged Boophilus microplus. The mRNA was purified. A library of oligo (dT)-primed cDNA with added directional EcoR I/Hind III linkers was constructed from the purified mRNA. The constructed cDNA was ligated to the EcoR I/Hind III arms of the lambda SCREEN vector. The recombinant phage DNA was packaged by phage-marker packaging extracts, resulting in a primary cDNA library with a size of 1.38x10(6) PFU. Data showed 100% of the library were recombinant and the titer of the amplified library was 2x10(9) PFU/ml. A partial cDNA encoding cytochrome oxidase C subunit II of B. microplus was screened from the expression library with rabbit serum against B. microplus salivary gland proteins. The results is suggested that the cDNA expression library has been constructed.