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Infection and Immunity, November 2002, p. 6448-6455, Vol. 70, No. 11
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.11.6448-6455.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Babesia bovis Merozoite Surface Antigen 2 Proteins Are Expressed on the Merozoite and Sporozoite Surface, and Specific Antibodies Inhibit Attachment and Invasion of Erythrocytes
Juan Mosqueda,* Terry F. McElwain, and Guy H. Palmer
Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040
Received 29 April 2002/
Returned for modification 7 June 2002/
Accepted 15 July 2002
The Babesia bovis merozoite surface antigen 2 (MSA-2) locus encodes four proteins, MSA-2a1, -2a2, -2b, and -2c. With the use of specific antibodies, each MSA-2 protein was shown to be expressed on the surface of live extracellular merozoites and coexpression on single merozoites was confirmed. Individual antisera against MSA-2a, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c significantly inhibited merozoite invasion of bovine erythrocytes. As tick-derived sporozoites also directly invade erythrocytes, expression of each MSA-2 protein on the sporozoite surface was examined and verified. Finally, statistically significant inhibition of sporozoite binding to the erythrocytes was demonstrated by using antisera specific for MSA-2a, MSA-2b, and MSA-2c. These results indicate an important role for MSA-2 proteins in the initial binding and invasion of host erythrocytes and support the hypothesis that sporozoites and merozoites use common surface molecules in erythrocyte invasion.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040. Phone: (509) 335-6346. Fax: (509) 335-8529. E-mail:
mosjj{at}vetmed.wsu.edu.
Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.
Infection and Immunity, November 2002, p. 6448-6455, Vol. 70, No. 11
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.11.6448-6455.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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