Alpha-spectrin immunoanalog in Acanthamoeba cells

A monospecific, affinity purified antibody was prepared against chicken erythrocyte alpha-spectrin. The antibody cross-reacted with only one high molecular weight polypeptide (235 kDa) from whole Acanthamoeba cells. The localization of alpha-spectrin-related antigen in Acanthamoeba cells was examined using immunofluorescence and postembedding cytochemical techniques. Three patterns of distribution of alpha-spectrin immunoanalog were distinguished: as submembranous layer, cytoplasmic aggregates and uniform dispersion through the cytoplasm. Immunoelectron microscopic studies showed that the colloidal gold label was located in the cytoplasm in the vicinity of the plasma membrane. The gold particles were also aggregated around unidentified cytoplasmic filamentous structures. The presence of spectrin-related protein in protozoan cells of Acanthamoeba is in accordance with previous assumptions of the widespread occurrence of spectrin-related proteins. The heterogenous distribution of the immunoanalog of alpha-spectrin protein in Acanthamoeba cells is discussed.