BIOSYNTHETIC RADIOLABELING OF EXCRETIONS SECRETIONS OF ADULT MALE ONCHOCERCA-GIBSONI

Maintenance of adult male worms of the bovine filarial parasite Onchoc erca gibsoni in vitro in the presence of radioactive precursors, resul ted in the time-dependent excretion-secretion of radiolabelled parasit e macromolecules (ES). Molecules labelled with amino acids ([S-35] met hionine, [H-3] leucine) covered a wide range of molecular weights, whe reas labelling with [H-3] glucosamine produced predominantly molecules of high molecular weight, Many of the products were recognized by ant ibodies in two serum pools from humans infected with Onchocerca volvul us. O. gibsoni ES may therefore provide a substitute source of materia l for studies on the ES of the less readily available human parasite.