ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS ANTIGENS

Cytosolic fractions of mycelial extracts from Aspergillus nidulans, A. flavus, and three different isolates of A. fumigatus, grown to statio nary phase in Czapek-Dox-AOAC medium, were tested by immunoblotting fo r the presence of antigens reactive to 80 serum samples from aspergill oma patients. Fifty control serum samples were used to determine the s pecificity of the reactions. In the A. fumigatus cytosolic fraction of group of four main antigenic bands (p90, p60, p40 and p37) was consis tently recognized in (in total or partial form) by 90% of the serum sa mples from the aspergilloma patients. This group of antigens was desig nated as the 'cytosolic fraction complex' (CFC). As confirmed by two-d imensional electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting with aspergillom a serum samples, each of the four antigenic bands is formed of several isoforms of acidic glycopeptides with slightly different pls. All the isoforms are at least N-glycosylated, as demonstrated by endoglycosid ase H removal of a considerable amount of sugar residues. The relation ship of these antigens with certain other A. fumigatus antigens previo usly reported in the literature, and their potential use in the immuno diagnosis of aspergilloma, are discussed.