Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and its surface expression increases during metacyclogenesis

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz

Denise Cs Matos²  Lanuza Ap Faccioli²  Léa Cysne-finkelstein²  Paula Mello De Luca²  Suzana Corte-real¹  Geraldo Rg Armôa¹  Elezer Monte Blanco Lemes¹  Débora Decote-ricardo¹  Sergio Cf Mendonça² 

[1] ,Fiocruz Instituto de Tecnologia em Imunobiológicos Laboratório de ImunoparasitologiaRio de Janeiro RJ ,Brasil

关键词: Leishmania amazonensis;    KMP-11;    expression;    amastigote;    promastigote;    metacyclogenesis;   

DOI  :  10.1590/S0074-02762010000300018

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11), a protein present in all kinetoplastid protozoa, is considered a potential candidate for a leishmaniasis vaccine. A suitable leishmaniasis vaccine candidate molecule must be expressed in amastigotes, the infective stage for mammals. However, the expression of KMP-11 in Leishmania amastigotes has been a subject of controversy. We evaluated the expression of this molecule in logarithmic and stationary growth phase promastigotes, as well as in amastigotes, of Leishmania amazonensis by immunoblotting, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry, using a monoclonal antibody against KMP-11. We found that KMP-11 is present in promastigotes and amastigotes. In both stages, the protein was found in association with membrane structures (at the cell surface, flagellar pocket and intracellular vesicles). More importantly, its surface expression is higher in amastigotes than in promastigotes and increases during metacyclogenesis. The increased expression of KMP-11 in metacyclic promastigotes, and especially in amastigotes, indicates a role for this molecule in the parasite relationship with the mammalian host. The presence of this molecule in amastigotes is consistent with the previously demonstrated immunoprotective capacity of vaccine prototypes based on the KMP-11-coding gene and the presence of humoral and cellular immune responses to KMP-11 in Leishmania-infected humans and animals.

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