Immunization with recombinant Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2β protein induces changes in the electrocardiogram of immunized mice
Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with severe chronic Chagas heart disease showed a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of the Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2β protein, previously named JL5. The main linear epitope of this polypeptide was mapped...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | JOUR |
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_09288244_v18_n1_p75_LopezBergami |
| Aporte de: |
| Sumario: | Molecular expression cloning techniques revealed that patients with severe chronic Chagas heart disease showed a strong humoral response against the cloned C-terminal portion of the Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P2β protein, previously named JL5. The main linear epitope of this polypeptide was mapped to the 13 C-terminal amino acid sequence EEEDDDMGFGLFD (named R13), which is almost identical to the mammalian ribosomal P consensus sequence EESDDDMGFGLFD (named H13). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements demonstrated that sera from patients with chronic Chagas heart disease presented a very specific anti-P humoral response with high anti- R13, but low H13 antibody levels. We attempted to develop an animal model that would reproduce, at least partially, two features of the human infection: (1) the serological pattern of the anti-P response, and (2) specific cardiac symptoms. To this effect, mice were immunized with T. cruzi P2β recombinant protein. Immunization reproduced the typical anti-P antibody profile defined for chronic infections, but did not induce cardiac inflammatory lesions. However, it altered significantly the electrocardiograms of immunized mice. It is suggested that this assay represents a functional test for assessing the biological activity of antibodies against T. cruzi ribosomal P protein on cardiac muscle. |
|---|