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Infection and Immunity, June 2006, p. 3663-3667, Vol. 74, No. 6
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00032-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Babesia bovis Merozoite Surface Antigen 1 Hypervariable Region Induces Surface-Reactive Antibodies That Block Merozoite Invasion

Tanya LeRoith,* Shawn J. Berens, Kelly A. Brayton, Stephen A. Hines, Wendy C. Brown, Junzo Norimine, and Terry F. McElwain

Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040

Received 6 January 2006/ Returned for modification 11 February 2006/ Accepted 4 March 2006

A hypervariable region (HVR) previously identified in the carboxy-terminal one-third of the Babesia bovis variable merozoite surface antigen family was more extensively analyzed in merozoite surface antigen 1 (MSA-1) from 16 strains and isolates. The MSA-1 HVR is proline rich and contains three semiconserved motifs nearly identical to those described for the related family member MSA-2. Two MSA-1-specific monoclonal antibodies previously shown to be reactive with the merozoite surface bound to a recombinant construct encoding the HVR, indicating that the HVR is surface exposed and accessible to antibody binding. Importantly, these surface-reactive, HVR-specific monoclonal antibodies were capable of inhibiting merozoite infectivity of the host erythrocyte in vivo. The results indicate that the MSA-1 HVR is involved in erythrocyte invasion and suggest that selection of MSA-1 variants may be driven by invasion-blocking antibodies.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: (540) 231-7627. Fax: (540) 231-6033. E-mail: tleroith{at}vt.edu.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

Infection and Immunity, June 2006, p. 3663-3667, Vol. 74, No. 6
0019-9567/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00032-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Berens, S. J., Brayton, K. A., McElwain, T. F. (2007). Coinfection with Antigenically and Genetically Distinct Virulent Strains of Babesia bovis Is Maintained through All Phases of the Parasite Life Cycle. Infect. Immun. 75: 5769-5776 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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