Using Colloidal gold immunocyto-chemistry - monoclonal antibody gal-13 (specific for lipid-linked galactosyl(α1-3)galactose residues, anti-laminim and anti-nidogen antibodies - and lectin cytochemistry (Bandeiraea simplicifolia IB4), both techniques specific for demonstrating galactosyl (α1-3)galactose residues we have found terminal disaccharide residues on the Tripanosoma cruzi external surface of mouse blood - and Vero cell-derived trypomastigotes. Although intact epimastigotes moderately stained only with human antibodies, disrupted epimastigoles strongly immunoreacted with human as well as with rabbit antibodies. Staining was also detected in the lips of the flagellar pocket, and on the parasitic side exactly opposite to the flagellar pocket in amastigote and promastigote forms of American Leishmania. The presence of abundant galactosyl(α1-3)galactose residues on Trypanosomatid family members suggest a specific unknown role in parasite physiology for this terminal disaccharide.
antibodies, Leishmania mexicana, a-galactosyl, ultrastructure, T. cruzi, Leishmania braziliensis
Journal NLM ID: 1306037WWW link: http://www.actamicroscopica.org/index.php/Publisher: Stuttgart: S Hirzel Verlag
Institutions: Institute de Biomedicine, Apartado 4043, Caracas 10l0A, Venezuela
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