CROSS-REACTIVITY OF HEMOLYTIC AND HEMAGGLUTINATING PROTEINS IN THE CELOMIC FLUID OF LUMBRICIDAE (ANNELIDA)

Oligospecific antisera against the hemolytic and hemagglutinating comp ounds of the coelomic fluid (CF) of the earthworm species Eisenia feti da, Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea caliginosa were prepared. Th e proteins were bound to the membranes of erythrocytes and injected in to rabbits. By the use of these antisera the following results were ob tained: 1) The antisera RaLT and RaAC reached a titer of 1:64,000, the detection limit of RaEF was 1:512,000. RaEF was demonstrated to be ol igospecific only against three hemolytic proteins by Western blotting. 2) RaEF is able to inhibit the biological activity not only of hemoly sins (E. fetida, A. caliginosa) but also of hemagglutinins (L. terrest ris, L. rubellus, D. rubidus). 3) Complex carbohydrates, but not simpl e sugar compounds, are able to inhibit hemolytic and agglutinating act ivities in the CF of the investigated species. Fet. and alpha(1)ac. GP were demonstrated to be strong inhibitors both of the hemolytic and o f the hemagglutinating activity, whereas N-acetylglucosamine was only able to inhibit the hemagglutinating activity. 4) The investigated com pounds were shown to crossreact in ELISA experiments. 5) By the use of Western blotting, the crossreacting molecules in the CF of the invest igated lumbricid species were identified.