Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA from Onchocerca gibsoni encoding a novel repetitive antigen.

mRNA from uterine microfilariae of the cattle parasite Onchocerca gibsoni was used for the construction of cDNA libraries. A cDNA clone encoding an antigen recognized by serum from human individuals infected with O. volvulus was found to contain five copies of an 87 bp unit. These 87 bp units were present in the genome in high copy number as long tandem arrays. These are the first cDNA sequence data obtained directly from larvae of any Onchocerca species.     

Molecular cloning of an alpha-enolase from the human filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus that binds human plasminogen

Enolase represents a multifunctional protein involved in basic energy metabolism and plasminogen binding and activation at the surface of prokaryotic pathogens. A complete cDNA of 1615 bp of an alpha-enolase from Onchocerca volvulus (Ov-ENO) was isolated using a PCR-based approach. The open reading frame encoded for 435 amino acids and the high degree of conservation included the crucial amino acid residues that participate in the formation of the catalytic site, Mg(2+) binding site, and a hydrophobic motif reported to relate to surface expression. A 1089-bp fragment was expressed in a N-terminal 6 x His-tag expression vector in Escherichia coli. By immunohistological analysis using anti-Ov-ENO rabbit antibodies, native enolase could be detected in most tissues of adult O. volvulus, microfilariae, and infective larvae. Intense staining was observed in the muscles, where the energy consumption is high. The purified recombinant protein fragment revealed plasminogen binding activity in a blot-overlay assay employing anti-plasminogen antibodies. In sera from individuals infected with O. volvulus, IgG antibodies reactive with recombinant Ov-ENO were demonstrated by immunoblot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent analyses. The plasminogen-binding property of O. volvulus alpha-enolase may support plasmin-mediated proteolysis including degradation of host's extracellular matrix thereby promoting the migration of larval stages through tissues. The recognition by antibodies in sera of O. volvulus-infected persons indicate an involvement of the protein in the interaction between the parasite and the human host.     

Expression and characterization of Ov-47, a dominant antigen of Onchocerca volvulus

The expression and characterization of a recombinant antigen termed Ov-47 are described. Ov-47 was identified and isolated from a lambda gt-11 cDNA expression library derived from adult female Onchocerca volvulus mRNA using rabbit antiserum raised against the surface proteins of O. volvulus female worms. The antiserum was earlier found to mediate, in vitro, cytoadherence and cytotoxicity reactions to microfilariae in the presence of heat-labile serum factors. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene was assigned the EMBL GenBank Accession No. Y15993. The open reading frame (1077 bp) of the gene was then subcloned into pQE-60 and expressed in Escherichia coli JM109 cells. The gene encodes a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 47,000 Da as revealed by SDS-PAGE. Up to 100 micrograms/ml pure Ov-47 recombinant protein could be isolated from E. coli cultures by Ni-agarose affinity chromatography. The 47-kDa protein was recognized by sera from both infected and endemic normal subjects. The parent protein was found to have a molecular weight of 60 kDa. IgG3 subclass responses to Ov-47 were significantly higher in endemic normals than in infected subjects (P < 0.05). In contrast, IgG4 responses were higher in infected subjects than in endemic normals (P < 0.05). IgG2 response exhibited marked age dependency with lower responses in younger patients, which rose to higher levels in elderly patients. IgG1, IgG3, and IgG4 responses did not show any age dependency. This study clearly shows that Ov-47 is a dominant antigen of O. volvulus adult worms with an important role in the host-parasite-interplay.     

美洲大蠊3-磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶基因的克隆及表达

旨在通过5’-RACE获得美洲大蠊3-磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶(GAPDH)基因的全长cDNA序列,进行生物信息学分析,构建原核表达载体,诱导重组蛋白表达,为进一步研究其功能奠定基础.通过3’-RACE技术,PCR扩增获取编码美洲大蠊GAPDH蛋白的全长cDNA序列;采用生物信息学方法推导出该序列编码的氨基酸序列及其理化性质;预测信号肽、蛋白疏水性、可溶性、跨膜区结构、二级结构、三级结构,并构建系统发育树;构建原核表达载体pET28a-GAPDH,IPTG诱导重组蛋白表达,并用Histag抗体Western blotting验证.结果显示,美洲大蠊GAPDH基因,其完整阅读框含999个碱基,编码332个氨基酸.序列分析显示,该蛋白与家蚕GAPDH相似性为89％,具有GAPDH保守功能域,经IPTG诱导获得重组蛋白.     

球毛壳菌甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因克隆及特性分析

用粗糙脉孢菌(Neurospora crassa,XP_327967)和菜豆炭疽病菌(Colletotrichum lindemuthianu,P35143)的甘油醛_3_磷酸脱氢酶基因(Glyceraldehyde 3_phosphatedehydrogenase,GAPDH)氨基酸序列对球毛壳菌(Chaetomium globosum)菌丝ESTs序列本地数据库进行tBlastn检索,获得了球毛壳菌GAPDH全长cDNA序列。该序列长1240bp,开放阅读框1014bp,编码337个氨基酸组成的多肽,蛋白分子量为36.1kD。用PCR方法克隆了该基因的DNA序列,序列长为1556bp,由2个内含子和3个外显子组成。BlastP同源性分析表明该基因与鹅掌柄孢壳(Podosporaanserine)同源性最高为95%;与米曲霉(Aspergillusoryzae)同源性最低为87%。GAPDH酵母转化子生物功能分析表明转化子对Na2CO3和高温有高的耐受性,证明GAPDH为抗胁迫基因。该基因的cDNA序列、DNA序列及推测的氨基酸序列在GenBank登录(登录号分别为AY522719,AY593253,AAS01412)。     

Onchocerca volvulus: comparative analysis of antibody responses to recombinant antigens in two animal models of onchocerciasis

Experimental infections of chimpanzees with Onchocerca volvulus and cattle with Onchocerca ochengi provide model systems for research in human onchocerciasis. These infections share many similarities from the standpoint of parasite biology, but little is known about the comparability of immune responses in the two systems. To make a direct comparison between the models in terms of immune responsiveness to defined parasite products, three recombinant antigens of O. volvulus (Ov7, Ov103, and B20) were used to analyze the kinetics of antibody production following experimental infection. Each of the antigens was derived from adult cDNA libraries following immunoscreening with sera from chimpanzees (Ov7, Ov103) or cattle (B20). All chimpanzees (n = 12) and cattle (n = 8) displayed responses to Ov7 and Ov103, and all cattle, but only 33% of chimpanzees, showed responses to B20. The dynamics of the response to individual antigens showed further similarities between the chimpanzees and the cattle, with responses to Ov7 and Ov103 peaking after, and B20 before, the onset of patent infections. We conclude that there is good preliminary evidence of concordance in the kinetics of serological responses in the two models. However, individual antigens many be more or less immunogenic in the two systems, making it inadvisable to extrapolate between models concerning the relative immunodominance of specific parasite products.     

Surface antigens of male worms and microfilariae of Onchocerca gibsoni

Living adult males and microfilariae of the cattle filarial parasite Onchocerca gibsoni were externally labelled with radioactive iodine using the iodogen and Bolton-Hunter procedures. Characterization of labelled surface proteins by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed clear cut differences in the two life cycle stages. In addition, the two radiolabelling procedures yielded some differences in the profiles of radiolabelled surface proteins for both adults and microfilariae. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed a number of labelled antigens recognized by antibodies in human onchocerciasis serum pools, thereby demonstrating the usefulness of O. gibsoni as a model in Onchocerca volvulus vaccine studies. The reactivity of microfilarial antigens extended to antibodies from other human nematode infections, whereas male surface antigens, particularly those of low molecular weight, were Onchocerca specific. This indicates that O. gibsoni can provide a convenient source of specific diagnostic antigen.     

Zoonotic onchocerciasis in Hiroshima, Japan, and molecular analysis of a paraffin section of the agent for a reliable identification

Japan is a country of high specific diversity of Onchocerca with eight species, the adults of two not yet known. Onchocerca dewittei japonica, a common filarial parasite of wild boar, had been proved to be the agent of five zoonotic onchocerciasis in Kyushu island with morphological and molecular studies. The sixth case, at Hiroshima in the main island, was identified to the same Onchocerca species, based on adult characters observed on histological sections. To consolidate the identification, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene analysis was attempted with the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded parasite specimen. The sequence (196 bp) of a CO1 gene fragment of the parasite successfully PCR-amplified agreed well with those of O. dewittei japonica registered in GenBank, confirming the morphological identification. Moreover a comparison with the CO1 gene sequences of six other Onchocerca species in GenBank excluded the possibility that Onchocerca sp. from wild boar and Onchocerca sp. type A from cattle in Japan, were the causative agents in this case. Mitochondrial DNA analysis proved to be a valuable tool to support the morphological method for the discrimination of zoonotic Onchocerca species in a histological specimen.     

Identification and characterization of onchoastacin, an astacin-like metalloproteinase from the filaria Onchocerca volvulus

The tissue-invasive nematode Onchocerca volvulus causes skin and eye pathology in human onchocerciasis. While the adult females reside sessile in subcutaneous nodules, the microfilariae are abundantly released from the nodules, males and juvenile worms migrate through the host tissue. Matrix-degrading metallo- and serine proteinases have been detected in excretory-secretory worm products that may be essential for migration of the mobile stages. In this study, a 1713bp long cDNA encoding for a putative proteinase of O. volvulus has been isolated. The predicted protein sequence includes a signal peptide indicating secretion to the extracellular space, a propeptide, an astacin-like protease domain, an EGF-like and a CUB-domain, thereby identifying the protein as a member of the astacin family of zinc endopeptidases. Onchoastacin, Ov-AST-1, is most closely related to a subfamily comprising nematode astacins including Caenorhabditis and Ancylostoma. Ov-AST-1 was expressed as a recombinant protein in baculovirus-infected insect cells and exhibited enzymatic activity. The exposure of onchoastacin to the host immune system is indicated by demonstration of IgG reacting with the recombinant Ov-AST-1 and with two peptides of the protein. Since a homologous metalloproteinase is part of a promising hookworm vaccine, Ov-AST-1 may be a candidate for intervention strategies in filarial infections.     

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase protein and mRNA are both differentially expressed in adult chickens but not chick embryos

We have determined the 679 nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone which, by hybridization-translation experiments, corresponds to a 36K chick brain protein. Our studies provide a partial amino acid sequence for this protein, identifying it as chicken glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Antisera raised against purified chicken GAPDH reacted with a 36K protein present in chick brain extracts and estimated to be the fourth most prevalent protein, as determined by either Coomassie Blue staining or by in vitro translation of chick brain mRNA. The amounts of GAPDH mRNA in chick brain, liver and muscle and adult chicken brain are similar, whereas the relative amount of adult chicken muscle GPDH mRNA is greatly elevated and that of adult liver lowered. The GAPDH protein levels showed a similar variation between tissues, suggesting that the levels of GAPDH protein are largely regulated by the amount of available GAPDH mRNA. The chicken GAPDH clone does not hybridize to rat mRNA, even though GAPDH is one of the most evolutionarily conserved proteins, indicating that selection pressures are heavier at the primary protein sequence level than at the nucleic acid sequence level for this gene, a situation contrasting to that of the tubulins.     

Onchocerca volvulus: genetic diversity of parasite isolates from Sudan

Onchocerciasis in Sudan exists in three distinct foci which exhibit differing clinical presentations. Previous studies have demonstrated that a tandemly repeated Onchocerca sequence family with a unit repeat length of 150 bp (the O-150 family) is a useful marker for deducing relationships among different O. volvulus populations. In the current study, the O-150 repeat families of O. volvulus from Sudan were analyzed and compared to each other and to those of parasites from West Africa. Similar to West African and American O. volvulus, the O-150 families of the Sudanese parasites could be divided into clusters within which little or no intracluster variation was evident, suggesting that the O-150 family in these parasites was subject to the forces of concerted evolution. Statistical analysis of the O-150 families from the different Sudanese parasite isolates, employing a nested algorithm based on an analysis of variance, revealed that O. volvulus endemic to the northern focus at Abu Hamed were significantly different from all other O. volvulus populations examined to date. In contrast, parasites from the southern and eastern foci of Sudan were indistinguishable from those endemic to the West African savanna. The significance of these data are discussed in light of knowledge of the biogeography and biology of transmission of O. volvulus in Africa.     

The glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene of Moniliophthoraperniciosa, the causal agent of witches' broom disease of Theobroma cacao

This report describes the cloning, sequence and expression analysis of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene of Moniliophthora perniciosa, the most important pathogen of cocoa in Brazil. Southern blot analysis revealed the presence of a single copy of the GAPDH gene in the M. perniciosa genome (MpGAPDH). The complete MpGAPDH coding sequence contained 1,461 bp with eight introns that were conserved in the GAPDH genes of other basidiomycete species. The cis-elements in the promoter region of the MpGAPDH gene were similar to those of other basidiomycetes. Likewise, the MpGAPDH gene encoded a putative 339 amino acid protein that shared significant sequence similarity with other GAPDH proteins in fungi, plants, and metazoans. Phylogenetic analyses clustered the MPGAPDH protein with other homobasidiomycete fungi of the family Tricholomataceae. Expression analysis of the MpGAPDH gene by real-time PCR showed that this gene was more expressed (~1.3X) in the saprotrophic stage of this hemibiotrophic plant pathogen than in the biotrophic stage when grown in cacao extracts.     

cDNA,genomic sequence cloning and overexpression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">GAPDH</Emphasis>) from the Giant Panda

GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) is a key enzyme of the glycolytic pathway and it is related to the occurrence of some diseases. The cDNA and the genomic sequence of GAPDH were cloned successfully from the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) using the RT-PCR technology and Touchdown-PCR, respectively. Both sequences were analyzed preliminarily. The cDNA of GAPDH cloned from the Giant Panda is 1191 bp in size, contains an open reading frame of 1002 bp encoding 333 amino acids. The genomic sequence is 3941 bp in length and was found to possess 10 exons and 9 introns. Alignment analysis indicates that the nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence are highly conserved in some mammalian species, including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Canis lupus familiaris and Bos taurus. The homologies for the nucleotide sequences of the Giant Panda GAPDH to that of these species are 90.67, 90.92, 90.62, 95.01 and 92.32% respectively, while the homologies for the amino acid sequences are 94.93, 95.5, 95.8, 98.8 and 97.0%. Primary structure analysis revealed that the molecular weight of the putative GAPDH protein is 35.7899 kDa with a theoretical pI of 8.21. Topology prediction showed that there is one Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase active site, two N-glycosylation sites, four Casein kinase II phosphorylation sites, seven Protein kinase C phosphorylation sites and eight N-myristoylation sites in the GAPDH protein of the Giant Panda. The GAPDH gene was overexpressed in E. coli BL21. The results indicated that the fusion of GAPDH with the N-terminally His-tagged form gave rise to the accumulation of an expected 43 kDa polypeptide. The SDS-PAGE analysis also showed that the recombinant GAPDH was soluble and thus could be used for further functional studies.     

意大利蜜蜂甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因amGAPDH2的cDNA克隆与序列分析

应用RT-PCR技术克隆了意大利蜜蜂(Apis mellifera)甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶基因amGAPDH2,利用MEGA5.1、DNAMAN、PredictProtein和I-TASSER等软件对该基因进化关系以及其所对应的蛋白的同源性、理化性质和结构进行了预测和分析。从意大利蜜蜂cDNA文库中克隆得到了长1188 bp的amGAPDH2序列,GenBank登录号为MH152402。该序列具有完整的开放阅读框(ORF,114~1115 bp),其编码333个氨基酸。该基因编码的氨基酸序列与其它昆虫的GAPDH有较高的序列相似性(80%以上),系统进化分析表明amGAPDH2与中华蜜蜂、小蜜蜂的序列相似性最高。利用ProtParam等软件对amGAPDH2编码的蛋白质分析结果显示,amGAPDH2属于不稳定、亲水性蛋白;二级结构属于混合型,Helix占25.53%、Strand占24.62%、Loop占49.85%;am GAPDH2具有两个保守结构域:一个是N端的NAD(P)结合结构域,另一个是C端的催化结构域Gp_dh_C。该研究为后期amGAPDH2基因的生理功能研究提供了理论依据。     

Wolbachia endosymbionts of Onchocerca volvulus express a putative periplasmic HtrA-type serine protease

Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria of many filarial nematodes. A mutualistic interaction between the endobacteria and the filarial host is likely, because the clearance of Wolbachia by tetracycline leads to the obstruction of embryogenesis and larval development. Databases were searched for exported molecules to identify candidates involved in this mutualism. Fragments of a Wolbachia serine protease from the human filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus were obtained (Wol-Ov-HtrA) by the use of a PCR technique and primers based on the Rickettsia prowazekii genome. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited 87% and 81% identity to the homologous Wolbachia proteases identified from Brugia malayi and Drosophila melanogaster, respectively. The full-length cDNA encodes 494 amino acids with a calculated mass of 54 kDa. Three characteristic features, (i) a catalytic triad of serine proteases, (ii) two PDZ domains and (iii) a putative signal peptide, classify the endobacterial protein as a member of the periplasmic HtrA family of proteases known to express chaperone and regulator activity of apoptosis. Using a rabbit antiserum raised against a recombinantly expressed 33-kDa fragment of Wol-Ov-HtrA, strong labelling of the antigen was found associated with endobacteria in hypodermis, oocytes, zygotes, all embryonic stages and microfilariae of O. volvulus. Staining of hypodermal cytoplasm surrounding the endobacteria indicated a possible release of the protein from the Wolbachia. The demonstration of Wol-Ov-HtrA-reactive IgG1 antibodies in sera of O. volvulus-infected persons indicated the exposure to the protein and its recognition by the human immune system. Wol-Ov-HtrA is a candidate for an exported Wolbachia protein that may interact with the filarial host metabolism.     

A novel gene from Brugia sp. that encodes a cytotoxic fatty acid binding protein allergen recognized by canine monoclonal IgE and serum IgE from infected dogs

Brugia pahangi infection of dogs is a well characterized model of human lymphatic filariasis in which sera consistently show IgG or IgE reactivity to a 35-kDa antigen. Using dog lymph node B cells, we previously established a heterohybridoma cell line producing canine monoclonal IgE (cmAb 2.39) that activates and degranulates canine mast cells, and specifically recognizes a 35-kDa B. pahangi antigen. By affinity purification and sequencing of the native protein from B. pahangi adults, a 19-amino acid sequence was obtained; the derived nucleotide sequence showed homology to a Brugia malayi and 2 related Onchocerca volvulus expressed sequence tag (EST) clones from the Filarial Genome Project database. Consensus primers amplified a 244-bp product from adult and infective larval stage cDNA libraries of B. malayi, O. volvulus, and Wuchereria bancrofti, but not from those of nonfilarial nematodes. The B. malayi EST clone only showed nucleotide sequence homology to O. volvulus EST sequences. A 684-bp region from the open reading frame was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein designated BmAl-1. CmAb 2.39, as well as serum IgE from dogs infected with B. pahangi and canine filarial heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, recognized BmAl-1 on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blots. BmAl-1 showed high binding affinity for a fatty acid; however, a search for sequence homology with known fatty acid binding proteins indicated that BmAl-1 is a unique fatty acid binding protein. This 35-kDa protein seems to be highly conserved in different stages and species of filarids, and it represents a previously unknown allergen that is possibly involved in the pathogenesis of filarial disease.     

Onchocerca volvulus: application of the polymerase chain reaction to identification and strain differentiation of the parasite

Previous studies have demonstrated that the genome of Onchocerca volvulus contains a variable tandemly repeated DNA sequence family with a unit length of 150 bp. The variability of the 150-bp family has been exploited to develop O. volvulus strain and species specific DNA probes. Application of these DNA probes to the study of the epidemiologically most significant life cycle stages of the parasite has been confounded by several obstacles. These include the relative insensitivity of some of the DNA probes and the difficulty in releasing genomic DNA from infective larvae and skin microfilariae in a form that may be directly detected by hybridization to the probes. DNA sequence comparison of 18 known examples of the 150-bp repeat has been used to develop two populations of degenerate oligonucleotides. These oligonucleotides have been shown to support the amplification of the 150-bp repeat family from Onchocerca DNA, using the polymerase chain reaction. Both strain and species specific members of the repeat family are faithfully amplified, allowing characterization of a parasite on the basis of hybridization of the PCR amplification products to the previously developed DNA probes. This method is shown to be applicable to all diagnostically important forms of the parasite, including adults, infective larvae, and skin microfilariae. In addition, the method is capable of detecting O. volvulus infective larvae directly in extracts of blackfly vectors.     

Zoonotic onchocerciasis caused by a parasite from wild boar in Oita, Japan. A comprehensive analysis of morphological characteristics of the worms for its diagnosis

Histological examination of a nodule removed from the back of the hand of a 58-year-old woman from Oita, Kyushu, Japan showed an Onchocerca female sectioned through the posterior region of the worm (ovaries identifiable) and young (thin cuticle). Six Onchocerca species are enzootic in that area: O. gutturosa and O. lienalis in cattle, O. suzukii in serows (Capricornis crispus), O. skrjabini and an Onchocerca sp. in Cervus nippon nippon, and O. dewittei japonica in wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax). Diagnostic characters of female Onchocerca species, such as the cuticle and its ridges, change along the body length. Tables of the histologic morphology of the mid- and posterior body-regions of the local species are presented. In addition, it was observed that transverse ridges arose and thickened during the adult stage (examination of fourth stage and juvenile females of O. volvulus). The specimen described in this report, with its prominent and widely spaced ridges, was identified as O. d. japonica. Four of the 10 zoonotic cases of onchocerciasis reported worldwide were from Oita, three of them being caused by O. d. japonica, the prevalence of which in local wild boar was 22 of 24 (92%).