Antigenic Makeup of Subcellular Fractions of Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes from cultures were separated into nuclear, mitochondrial, lysosomal, microsomal, and cell-sap fractions. Enzymic and ultrastructutal controls served to determine the cleanness of separation. The bulk of the DNA was in the nuclear (78%) and mitochondrial (12%) fractions. RNA was found in microsomal (74%) and cell-sap (14%) fractions. Marker enzyme distribution (succinic dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, and glucose-6-phosphatase) was compared with their distribution in mammalian tissues. Subcellular localization of antigens by Ouchterlony tests revealed 2 specific precipitin lines in cell sap and 1 in the microsomal fraction. These antigens may prove diagnostically and immunoprotectively valuable.