Partial characterization of two antigens secreted by L 1 larvae of Trichinella spiralis

Abstract

Two protein antigens were isolated from excretory-secretory products of Trichinella spiralis by biochemical methods and characterized with respect to their chemical and immunological properties. One antigen, of apparent M r 43 000, is an abundant secreted protein of infective L 1 larvae, while the other, of 45–50 kDa, is present in smaller amounts. Yields, extinction coefficients, isoelectric points, amino acid compositions, and partial N-terminal amino acid sequences for each are reported. Partial amino acid sequences of peptides derived from the 43-kDa protein by cyanogen bromide cleavage have been determined. Treating a reduced-pyridylethylated derivative of the 43-kDa protein with glycopeptidase F ( N-glycanase) resulted in formation of a transient product, of 37 kDa followed by a stable polypeptide of 32 kDa (by SDS-PAGE), suggesting the presence of two N-linked carbohydrate groups. A similar result was obtained with the 45–50-kDa protein, which gave a transient doublet of 38 and 40 kDa and a final, stable product of 33 kDa, with a minor component of 35 kDa. Two glycosylation sites of the 43-kDa protein and one site of the 45–50-kDa protein can be identified in the amino acid sequences. Polyclonal antibodies prepared against the two proteins cross-reacted extensively, but failed to react with the doubly deglycosylated polypeptides in Western blots. The dominant epitopes present in the reduced-pyridylethylated polypeptides are, therefore, N-linked carbohydrate, although the presence of peptide epitopes in the native proteins cannot be excluded.