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Infect Immun, June 1998, p. 2922-2927, Vol. 66, No. 6
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

In Vivo Binding of Immunoglobulin M to the Surfaces of Babesia bigemina-Infected Erythrocytes

Ignacio E. Echaide,1,2 Stephen A. Hines,1 Terry F. McElwain,1 Carlos E. Suarez,1 Travis C. McGuire,1 and Guy H. Palmer*

Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164,1 and Instituto Nacional Technologia Agropecuaria, 2300-Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina2

Received 22 July 1997/Returned for modification 18 August 1997/Accepted 2 March 1998

Babesia bigemina infection of mature bovine erythrocytes results in new proteins specifically exposed on the parasitized cell surface. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 64/32 binds a protein, designated p94, on B. bigemina-infected erythrocytes but not on either uninfected or B. bovis-parasitized erythrocytes. However, p94 was not encoded by B. bigemina and was not a parasite-modified erythrocyte membrane protein. In contrast, we showed that p94 could be eluted from the infected erythrocyte surface and was identified as specifically bound immunoglobulin M (IgM) heavy chain for the following reasons: (i) MAb 64/32 bound a reduced molecule of 94 kDa in both infected erythrocyte lysates and normal bovine serum; (ii) MAb 64/32 bound a 94-kDa molecule in reduced preparations of purified IgM; (iii) an anti-bovine µ heavy-chain MAb, BIg73, reacted specifically with the surface of infected erythrocytes and bound the 94-kDa molecule in lysates of infected erythrocytes, normal bovine serum, and purified IgM; and (iv) immunoprecipitation of infected erythrocyte lysates with MAb 64/32 depleted the 94-kDa antigen bound by anti-µ MAb BIg73 and vice versa. Binding of IgM to the infected erythrocyte surface was detected in vivo early in acute parasitemia and occurred during both the trophozoite and merozoite stages of intraerythrocytic parasitism. The common feature of IgM binding to the parasitized erythrocyte surface among otherwise genetically and antigenically distinct B. bigemina strains is suggestive of an advantageous role in parasite survival in vivo.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040. Phone: (509) 335-6033. Fax: (509) 335-8529. E-mail: gpalmer{at}vetmed.wsu.edu.


Infect Immun, June 1998, p. 2922-2927, Vol. 66, No. 6
0019-9567/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.



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