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Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of a putative activation-associated secreted protein from Angiostrongylus cantonensis

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Abstract

Activation-associated secreted protein (ASP) had been found in many helminthes, which was associated with pathogenesis and stage transition. A complementary DNA (cDNA) sequence encoding a putative two-domain ASP was obtained from an Angiostrongylus cantonensis fourth-stage larvae cDNA library, which we designated as AgASP. The cDNA of AgASP contains an open reading frame encoding 424 amino acids, the first 19 residues being a putative secretion signal. The expression pattern of this protein was investigated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. We found that this protein expressed most highly in the brain-stage larvae (Lbr) of this parasite and existed in the excretory/secretory products of this stage. Immunofluorescence showed it existed in the lumen of the Lbr. The recombinant protein can be recognized by the infection sera from mice (nonpermissive host), while it cannot be recognized by infection sera from rats (permissive host). The infiltration of neutrophils in infected nonpermissive host can be lessened by immunizing this host with this protein (immunized vs control group, 13.7 ± 10.2 vs 65.5 ± 19.2). These findings suggest that this protein plays a role in the pathogenesis of human angiostrongyliasis and is worthy of further study.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by a grant from the National Basic Research Program of China (2010CB530004) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China-Guangdong Provincial People’s Government of the Joint Natural Science Fund (u0632003). We are very grateful to Wen Yang and Xuerong Li for their critical reading of the manuscript and helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao Yang, Zhuoya Li, Qian Liu, Dongjing Zhang, Jing Chen, Xiansheng Wu, Ai He, Xiaoying Zheng, Yu Wu, Zhongdao Wu & Ximei Zhan

  2. Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao Yang, Zhuoya Li, Qian Liu, Dongjing Zhang, Jing Chen, Xiansheng Wu, Ai He, Xiaoying Zheng, Yu Wu, Zhongdao Wu & Ximei Zhan

  3. Department of Plant Protection, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

    Hualiang He

  4. Laboratory for Molecular Epidemiology, School of Public Health and General Practice, Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China

    Mei Cheng

Authors
  1. Xiao Yang
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  2. Zhuoya Li
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  3. Hualiang He
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  4. Mei Cheng
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  5. Qian Liu
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  6. Dongjing Zhang
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  7. Jing Chen
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  8. Xiansheng Wu
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  9. Ai He
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  10. Xiaoying Zheng
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  11. Yu Wu
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  12. Zhongdao Wu
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  13. Ximei Zhan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ximei Zhan.

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Xiao Yang and Zhuoya Li contributed equally to this manuscript.

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Yang, X., Li, Z., He, H. et al. Molecular cloning, expression, and characterization of a putative activation-associated secreted protein from Angiostrongylus cantonensis . Parasitol Res 112, 781–788 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-3198-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-3198-x

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