Abstract
Baylisascaris schroederi is a common parasite of captive giant pandas. The diagnosis of this ascariasis is normally carried out by a sedimentation-floatation method or PCR to detect eggs in feces, but neither method is suitable for early diagnosis. Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) and galectin (GAL) exist in various animals and participate in important biology of parasites. Because of their good immunogenicity, they are seen as potential antigens for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases. In this study, we cloned and expressed recombinant FABP and GAL from B. schroederi (rBs-FABP and rBs-GAL) and developed indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) to evaluate their potential for diagnosing ascariasis in giant pandas. Immunolocalization showed that Bs-FABP and Bs-GAL were widely distributed in adult worms. The ELISA based on rBs-FABP showed sensitivity of 95.8% (23/24) and specificity of 100% (12/12), and that based on rBs-GAL had sensitivity of 91.7% (22/24) and specificity of 100% (12/12).
Highlights
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), known as a ‘‘living fossil” with a history of about 7 million years [1], is a national first class protected animal and endemic to China
Bioinformatics analysis software predicted no signal peptide or transmembrane region in either Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) and GAL; both were characterized as a soluble protein
Multiple sequence alignment revealed that Bs-FABP shared the highest similarity (92%) with a homologous protein from Ascaris suum, followed by Toxocara canis (74%) (Fig 1A)
Summary
Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), known as a ‘‘living fossil” with a history of about 7 million years [1], is a national first class protected animal and endemic to China. According to the results from the Fourth National Survey on Giant Pandas from 2011 to 2014, conducted by the State Forestry Administration, as of the end of 2013, there were about 1864 wild pandas [2], mainly distributed in mountain areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces [3]. The 2016 Annual Conference of the Chinese Committee of Breeding Techniques for Giant Pandas noted that 469 captive giant pandas are present in 84 institutions in 18 countries and regions (unpublished data).
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