Leishmania tropica and Leishmania donovani: solid phase radioimmunoassay using leishmanial excreted factor

A radioimmunoassay for the quantitative determination of anti-leishmanial excreted factor (EF) antibody in rabbit sera was developed. The assay, using Leishmania tropica and Leishmania donovani promastigotes EF, purified by either extraction with phenol followed by fractionation on a Sephadex G-100 column or by the dissociation of EF antibody complexes, was shown to be sensitive and reproducible. Using monospecific anti-EF antibodies, levels of as low as 0.06-0.12 micrograms/ml of anti-EF IgG could be detected. The specificity of the assay was assessed by inhibition with homologous and heterologous EF. Only minor cross-reactivity with heterologous EF was observed, and as little as 2.5 micrograms/ml of EF could be detected. Sera from kala-azar patients showed only 1.8-3.1 times more anti-EF activity, as compared with uninfected controls. No specificity was observed with sera from kala-azar patients with regard to the type of EF used. Almost the same activity was obtained with both EF from L. tropica and L. donovani. No anti-EF antibodies were detected in sera from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.     

A lipophosphoglycan-independent method for isolation of infective Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes by density gradient centrifugation.

At the end of their growth in the sand fly, Leishmania parasites differentiate into the infective metacyclic promastigote stage, which is transmitted to the mammalian host. Thus, in experimental studies of parasite infectivity toward animals or macrophages, the use of purified metacyclics is generally preferred. While metacyclics of several Leishmania species can be efficiently purified with the aid of lectins or monoclonal antibodies, which differentially exploit stage-specific differences in the structure of the abundant surface glycolipid lipophosphoglycan (LPG), such reagents are unavailable for most species and they are unsuitable for studies involving LPG-deficient mutants. Here we describe a simple density gradient centrifugation method, which allows the rapid purification of infective metacyclic parasites from both wild-type and LPG-deficient Leishmania major. The purified metacyclic promastigotes are authentic, as judged by criteria such as their morphology, expression of the metacyclic-specific gene SHERP, and ability to invade and replicate within macrophages in vitro. Preliminary studies suggest that this method is applicable to other Leishmania species including L. donovani.     

Subcellular distribution and functional properties of different forms of elongation fractor EF1 from wheat embryos.

Elongation factor EF1 was found in a low salt homogenate of wheat embryos, either in the 100 000 X g supernatant or in the ribosome pellet. The ribosome-linked EF1 (EF1R), deteched by high salt washing, was purified to electrophoretical homogenetiy and its molecular and functional properties compared to those of a purified high molecular weight species of EF1 obtained from cytoplasm (EF1H). The two forms are associations of different polypeptides having in common only the polypeptide which can form the ternary complex with aminoacyl-tRNA and GTP. Whereas EF1R is able to fulfill all the EF1 functions, EF1H, incubated with ribosomes completely deprived of elongation factors, can catalyze the aminoacyl-tRNA binding to ribosomes, but, in the presence of EF2, forms only a very small amount of poly(Phe).     

Effect of elastase on elongation factor 1 from wheat germ

Elongation factor 1, species A, B and C, were isolated from wheat germ and purified to homogeneity by the following steps: supernatant 100 000 xg, precipitation with ammonium sulphate and column chromatography: Sephadex G-150, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and hydroxylapatite. On the second column the activity was divided into three peaks: EF1 A, B and C. The pure proteins EF1A, B and C (molecular weight 61 000, 48 000 and 12 500 D, respectively) were treated with elastase. Two products of EF1A digestion, polypeptides b and c, were isolated. The molecular weights of polypeptides b and c were similar to molecular weight of species B and C of EF1. Both digestion products were active in binary complex formation with GDP and in binding of Phe-tRNA to ribosomes. EF1B was converted to polypeptide c or similar and EF1C was rather resistant to elastase treatment.     

Identification and isolation of the Leishmania transferrin receptor.

In a previous report, we have presented several lines of evidence, derived from widely different methodologies, suggesting that Leishmania has specific receptors for transferrin with a Kd similar to the mammalian transferrin receptor. This paper describes the identification, purification, and biochemical characterization of Leishmania transferrin receptor. The Leishmania transferrin receptor, detected on intact parasites by immunoperoxidase staining, was first identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by Western blot analysis, using 125I-transferrin, as a 70-kDa protein. It has been isolated initially from Leishmania infantum promastigotes using affinity chromatography on a transferrin-Sepharose column and, subsequently, from Leishmania major promastigotes. The use of polyclonal antisera to the purified 70-kDa Leishmania transferrin receptor and to the purified rat transferrin receptor showed that the two receptors are antigenically distinct. The 70-kDa Leishmania transferrin receptor was subsequently characterized as an integral membrane glycoprotein. The monomeric state of the Leishmania transferrin receptor was demonstrated by gel filtration of purified receptor complexed with 125I-transferrin. Thus, the Leishmania transferrin receptor, unlike the mammalian receptor, is not a disulfide-linked dimer but a single 70-kDa polypeptide.     

Production and characterization of species-specific monoclonal antibodies against Leishmania donovani for immunodiagnosis

Sixteen species-specific monoclonal antibodies were produced against membranes of Leishmania donovani. These antibodies only reacted with determinants present on L. donovani. No cross-reactions were found with any other species of Leishmania or with membranes of Trypanosoma cruzi. An extensive analysis of the binding specificities of selected antibodies was carried out by using whole promastigote homogenates as antigen. Monoclonal antibodies D-1, D-2, D-3, and D-4 correctly identified all 44 L. donovani stocks from a cross-panel of 84 New and Old World Leishmania stocks. Antibodies D-1 and D-2 were also useful for species classification by immunofluorescence. No cross-reactions were observed with any other Leishmania species examined. Based on either Western blot and/or radioimmunoprecipitation analyses, five distinct groups of molecules associated with L. donovani-specific antigenic determinants were identified. These molecules range in m.w. from 18 to 84 kilodaltons. The antigenic molecules recognized by antibodies D-2, D-10, and D-13 are also recognized by antibodies present in sera from patients with visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar). Kala-azar sera obtained from cases in both the Old and New World specifically compete with these monoclonal antibodies for the appropriate antigenic determinants in Western blot analysis. These monoclonal antibodies and/or the purified protein antigens may be useful in the development of a serologic assay for the clinical diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis caused by L. donovani and in epidemiologic studies of leishmaniasis.     

Leishmania mexicana: inhibition and stimulation of phagosome-lysosome fusion in infected macrophages

The polyanionic compound poly-d-glutamic acid was found to inhibit significantly the fusion of secondary lysosomes to phagosomes containing Leishmania mexicana mexicana amastigotes for at least 96 hr. This process was viewed both by dark-field vital fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In poly-d-glutamic acid-treated macrophages parasites multiplied at a significantly greater rate than in untreated macrophages. Conversely, the secondary amine chloroquine caused a marked reduction in parasite growth. When L. m. mexicana promastigotes were substituted for amastigotes these results were strikingly more pronounced.     

Purification of the enhancing factor from mouse intestines

A unique polypeptide, called enhancing factor (EF), which enhances the binding of labeled epidermal growth factor (EGF) to cells, has been isolated. It has been purified to homogeneity from the acid-soluble proteins of mouse intestines. Earlier, EF was partially purified by two cycles of gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel columns. We now report the final purification of EF on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using a reverse-phase column (mu Bondapak C18). The purity of the protein was confirmed when a single peak was obtained in HPLC. Also, a single protein band was obtained in SDS-PAGE. Purified EF has the same properties in vitro as those reported earlier for partially purified EF.     

Protease-resistant prion protein amplification reconstituted with partially purified substrates and synthetic polyanions

Little is currently known about the biochemical mechanism by which induced prion protein (PrP) conformational change occurs during mammalian prion propagation. In this study, we describe the reconstitution of PrPres amplification in vitro using partially purified and synthetic components. Overnight incubation of purified PrP27-30 and PrPC molecules at a molar ratio of 1:250 yielded approximately 2-fold baseline PrPres amplification. Addition of various polyanionic molecules increased the level of PrPres amplification to approximately 10-fold overall. Polyanionic compounds that stimulated purified PrPres amplification to varying degrees included synthetic, homopolymeric nucleic acids such as poly(A) and poly(dT), as well as non-nucleic acid polyanions, such as heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Size fractionation experiments showed that synthetic poly(A) polymers must be >0.2 kb in length to stimulate purified PrPres amplification. Thus, one possible set of minimal components for efficient conversion of PrP molecules in vitro may be surprisingly simple, consisting of PrP27-30, PrPC, and a stimulatory polyanionic compound.     

Leishmanin skin test in guinea pig with a single purified protein of Leishmania major

A series of hybridomas was produced by fusion of SP2/0 myeloma cells with spleen cells of mice immunized with Leishmania major (L. major). The reactivity of secreted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was evaluated against available leishmanin antigen by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Only one hybridoma designated as 7F9 secreted IgG1 mAb which was shown to be reactive with leishmanin. This mAb was further tested against four species of Leishmania (L. donovani, L. tropica, L. infantum, L. major) and a recombinant gp63. Among the four species tested it was shown to be only reactive with promastigotes of L. major. The antigen recognized by this mAb was purified and analyzed from both sonicated and supernatant cultures of L. major by immunoaffinity chromatography and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The purified antigen, which gave a single band of 56kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis elicited a strong delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction in guinea pigs sensitized with L. major. It was almost of the same degree as that produced by leishmanin. These results suggest that an L. major-specific antigen is an alternative as a specific diagnostic skin test reagent, which could lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of DTH in L. major.     

The in vitro leishmanicidal activity of hexadecylphosphocholine (miltefosine) against four medically relevant Leishmania species of Brazil

The in vitro leishmanicidal activity of miltefosine? (Zentaris GmbH) was assessed against four medically relevant Leishmania species of Brazil: Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. The activity of miltefosine against these New World species was compared to its activity against the Old World strain, Leishmania (Leishmania) donovani, which is known to be sensitive to the effects of miltefosine. The IC50 and IC90 results suggested the New World species harboured similar in vitro susceptibilities to miltefosine; however, miltefosine was approximately 20 times more active against the Old World L. (L.) donovani than against the New World L. (L.) chagasi species. The selectivity index varied from 17.2-28.9 for the New World Leishmania species and up to 420.0 for L. (L.) donovani. The differences in susceptibility to miltefosine suggest that future clinical trials with this drug should include a laboratory pre-evaluation and a dose-defining step.     

Molecular mechanisms of adaptation to hyperthermia in higher organisms. III. Induction of heat-shock proteins in two Leishmania species

The heat-shock proteins (hsp) induction in two species of Leishmania have been investigated. The species studied are parasites of two species of lizards (Lymnodactylus caspins and Agama caucasica) differing by temperature of correspondent ecological niche. Our results show that Leishmania species restricted to high-temperature host (Agama) is capable to synthesize its proteins at extreme temperatures (38, 40 degrees C) with greater intensity. Moreover, the species of Leishmania studied differed by heat-shock proteins pattern, the intensive synthesis of hsp88 and hsp48 being the characteristic features of Leishmania species, restricted to the high-temperature host.     

Binding of Leishmania promastigotes to macrophages

Leishmania tropica promastigotes are easily attached to and engulfed by C3H peritoneal macrophages in vitro at 37 degrees C. Different sugars at 0.3-0.5 M inhibited in vitro the attachment of L. tropica promastigotes to C3H peritoneal macrophages with lactose (Gal-beta [1 leads to 4]Glc) being the most efficient. Inhibition of attachment is also affected by pre-treatment of promastigotes with galactose oxidase. Oligosaccharides extending from promastigote and amastigote cell surfaces contain an important proportion of non-reducing galactose as does the carbohydrate-rich factor (EF) excreted by promastigotes of L. tropica and L. donovani. This study suggests that Leishmania, an obligatory intracellular parasite, uses as a means of entering the host cell a cellular mechanism similar to that used in the removal of damaged cells from blood circulation. This mechanism is assumed to take advantage of the exposed sugars, particularly the exposed non-reducing galactose, on the parasite surface during the stage of attachment. Once the parasite is inside the cell, the EF it produces might have a protective function, being inhibitory to some of the host cell lysosomal enzymes.     

重组炭疽水肿因子的表达与生物活性分析

炭疽毒素包括3种蛋白因子,即保护性抗原（PA）、致死因子（LF）和水肿因子（EF）。EF是钙调蛋白依耐的腺苷酸环化酶,可使细胞cAMP浓度升高,导致宿主防御能力下降。为深入研究炭疽毒素的作用机理,构建了原核表达质粒,在大肠杆菌中表达出重组EF（rEF）。经鉴定,rEF以可溶形式表达于细菌胞质中。经过金属螯和层析、阳离子交换层析和凝胶层析,每升诱导培养物可获得约5mg 重组蛋白。用重组蛋白免疫家兔获得了兔多抗,能够在细胞试验中中和rEF,体外细胞试验显示rEF具有很好的生物活性,在J774A.1和CHO细胞试验中,能与LF共同竞争和PA的结合位点,相互抑制。上述工作为深入研究炭疽毒素的作用机理,开发针对EF的毒素抑制剂打下基础     

The ultrastructure of the parasitophorous vacuole formed by Leishmania major

Protozoan parasites of Leishmania spp. invade macrophages as promastigotes and differentiate into replicative amastigotes within parasitophorous vacuoles. Infection of inbred strains of mice with Leishmania major is a well-studied model of the mammalian immune response to Leishmania species, but the ultrastructure and biochemical properties of the parasitophorous vacuole occupied by this parasite have been best characterized for other species of Leishmania. We examined the parasitophorous vacuole occupied by L. major in lymph nodes of infected mice and in bone marrow-derived macrophages infected in vitro. At all time points after infection, single L. major amastigotes were wrapped tightly by host membrane, suggesting that amastigotes segregate into separate vacuoles during replication. This small, individual vacuole contrasts sharply with the large, communal vacuoles occupied by Leishmania amazonensis. An extensive survey of the literature revealed that the single vacuoles occupied by L. major are characteristic of those formed by Old World species of Leishmania, while New World species of Leishmania form large vacuoles occupied by many amastigotes.     

Leishmania tarentolae: purification and characterization of tubulin and its suitability for antileishmanial drug screening

Previously, tubulin has been purified from Leishmania amazonensis and used to identify novel molecules with selective antimitotic activity. However, L. amazonensis is pathogenic and requires a relatively expensive medium for large-scale cultivation. Herein, the purification and characterization of tubulin from the non-pathogenic Leishmania tarentolae is reported, together with the sequence of alpha- and beta-tubulin from this organism. This protein was purified by sonication, diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose chromatography, and one assembly disassembly cycle in 1% overall recovery based on total cellular protein. Leishmania tarentolae tubulin was indistinguishable from the corresponding L. amazonensis protein in terms of binding affinity for dinitroaniline sulfanilamides and sensitivity to assembly inhibition by these compounds. The amino acid sequences derived from the L. tarentolae alpha- and beta-tubulin genes were 99.6 and 99.4% identical to the corresponding amino acid sequences from the Leishmania major Friedlin strain. These results indicate that tubulin from L. tarentolae is suitable for use in drug screening.     

The dendritic cell receptor DC-SIGN discriminates among species and life cycle forms of Leishmania

Infection of dendritic cells by the human protozoal parasite Leishmania is part of its survival strategy. The dendritic cell receptors for Leishmania have not been established and might differ in their interactions among Leishmania species and infective stages. We present evidence that the surface C-type lectin DC-SIGN (CD 209) is a receptor for promastigote and amastigote infective stages from both visceral (Leishmania infantum) and New World cutaneous (Leishmania pifanoi) Leishmania species, but not for Leishmania major metacyclic promastigotes, an Old World species causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. Leishmania binding to DC-SIGN was found to be independent of lipophosphoglycan, the major glycoconjugate of the promastigote plasma membrane. Our findings emphasize the relevance of DC-SIGN in Leishmania-dendritic cell interactions, an essential link between innate and Leishmania-specific adaptive immune responses, and suggest that DC-SIGN might be a therapeutic target for both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis     

炭疽水肿因子在大肠杆菌中高效表达及一步法纯化

【目的】本研究旨在建立一种简单快捷的炭疽水肿因子(EF)重组表达及纯化方法。【方法】构建GST-EF融合表达载体,基于EF基因的密码子使用偏好,选择菌株Escherichia coli BL21-Codon Plus(DE3)-RIL为表达宿主,对EF进行诱导表达;细胞透性技术分离粗蛋白,进而利用亲和层析一步法纯化EF;Native-PAGE、竞争性抑制实验及c AMP浓度分析用于鉴定EF的生物活性。【结果】实现了EF可溶性高效表达,透性化处理可有效抽提可溶性重组蛋白;利用亲和层析一步法纯化得到了纯度达96%的EF;EF可与保护性抗原(PA)结合形成水肿毒素,该毒素能够急剧提高CHO-K1细胞中c AMP的浓度。【结论】本研究建立了一种高效快速制备具有生物活性的炭疽水肿因子的方法,为炭疽相关研究工作提供了新的选择。     

On the mechanism of a calcium-associated defect of oxidative phosphorylation in progessive muscular dystrophy

Partially purified elongation factor 1 preparations from calf brain, sheep brain, calf liver, and rabbit reticulocytes have been compared in their ability to interact with GTP and Phe-tRNA. A nitrocellulose filter assay has been used to study these interactions, and with all the EF1 preparations studied, evidence has been obtained for the formation of a Phe-tRNA·-EF1·-GTP complex. The ternary complex reacts with calf brain ribosomes in the presence of poly(U) resulting in a rapid hydrolysis of GTP and the binding of Phe-tRNA to the ribosome. Indirect evidence indicates that EF1·GDP is a product of this reaction. In the absence of poly(U) the intact complex reacts with the ribosomes without hydrolysis of GTP. The stability of the ternary complex was different with the various EF1 preparations, but the most stable complexes were prepared with calf brain EF1. Sephadex chromatography of the ternary complex shows that it contains a low molecular-weight species of the enzyme.     

EF—Tumt和EF—Tsmt在不同发育阶段小鼠各组织中的表达分析

线粒体蛋白质翻译延长因子Ｔｕ和Ｔｓ（ｍｉｔｏｃｈｏｎｄｒｉａｌｅｌｏｎｇａｔｉｏｎｆａｃｔｏｒＴｕａｎｄＴｓ,ＥＦＴｕｍｔａｎｄＥＦＴｓｍｔ）是由核基因编码的两个蛋白质,它们的功能和调控对细胞的生长发育有重要意义。采用ＥＦＴｕｍｔ和ＥＦＴｓｍｔ重组蛋白分别制备了抗ＥＦＴｕｍｔ和抗ＥＦＴｓｍｔ特异抗体并以此检测了它们在小鼠不同发育时期心肌、骨骼肌、肝、脑、脾等组织中的表达。蛋白质印迹结果表明ＥＦＴｕｍｔ和ＥＦＴｓｍｔ在各组织中的表达水平不同、有明显的组织差异性,并都受发育的调节。ＥＦＴｕｍｔ在同一发育时期各组织中的表达及随发育的变化趋势与ＥＦＴｓｍｔ基本一致。结果提示ＥＦＴｕｍｔ和ＥＦＴｓｍｔ的表达水平与组织细胞能量代谢水平密切相关,它们不仅在体内以复合体形式发挥作用,其基因表达可能受同一机制的调控。