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Glycosylation changes in different developmental stages of Trichinella

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Abstract

The in situ identification of carbohydrate structures in Trichinella spiralis intestinal larvae, adults and L1 muscular larvae was carried out by lectin histochemistry, with emphasis on the O-linked glycans. The absence of reactivity with two lectins-TML and MAL indicated that Trichinella spiralis does not synthesize sialic acid. Reactivity with HPA, VVL-B4, PNA and UEA-I staining suggested that T. spiralis synthesizes and expresses on its cuticle O-linked glycans analogous to Tn-antigen (GalNAc-α-Ser/Thr), T-antigen (Gal-β1,3-GalNAc-α-Ser/Thr) and also structures analogous to A-blood group antigens (GalNAc-α1,3-Gal-β1,3(4)-(Fuc-α1,2-)-R). Expression of the saccharidic moieties is stage-specific. Blood group-A and T-antigen structures were identified on the cuticle of the intestinal and muscular larvae. The Tn-antigen structure was missing in the intestinal larvae. Appropriate ligands for WGA were not identified in the adult individuals. The obtained results may contribute to a better understanding of the glycobiology of this parasitic nematode in relation to occupation of its intracellular niche. The presence of saccharidic structures analogous to some of those expressed on the intestinal epithelial cells may serve as a protective shield on the surface of the parasite.

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Abbreviations

AAA:

Artocarpus altilis agglutinin

ESP:

excretory/secretory products; Fuc-fucose

Gal:

galactose

GalNAc:

N-acetylgalactosamine

GlcNAc:

N-acetylglucosamine

HPA:

Helix pomatia agglutinin

lacdiNAc:

di-Nacetyllactosamine

MAL:

Maackia amurensis lectin

Neu5Ac:

neuraminic (sialic) acid

PBS:

phosphate-buffered physiological salt solution

PNA:

peanut agglutinin

SNA I:

Sambucus nigra agglutinin

TML:

Tritrichomonas mobilensis lectin

UEA:

Ulex europaeus agglutinin

VVL-B4:

Vicia villosa lectin, B4 isotype

WGA:

wheat-germ agglutinin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Experimental Pathology and Parasitology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., block 25, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Rositsa S. Milcheva & Svetlozara L. Petkova

  2. Parasitological Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, SK-04001, Košice, Slovakia

    Pavol Dubinský & Zuzana Hurniková

  3. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Sasinkova 4, SK-81372, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Rositsa S. Milcheva & Pavel Babál

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  1. Rositsa S. Milcheva
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  2. Svetlozara L. Petkova
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  3. Pavol Dubinský
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  4. Zuzana Hurniková
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  5. Pavel Babál
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Correspondence to Pavel Babál.

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Milcheva, R.S., Petkova, S.L., Dubinský, P. et al. Glycosylation changes in different developmental stages of Trichinella . Biologia 64, 180–186 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0015-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0015-9

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