STRONGYLOIDES VENEZUELENSIS - BINDING OF ORALLY SECRETED ADHESION SUBSTANCES TO SULFATED CARBOHYDRATES

Adhesion substances produced by adult worms of Strongyloides venezuele nsis bound strongly to hepin-Sepharose beads after incubation at 37 de grees C for 1 h. This binding was completely inhibited by highly sulfa ted carbohydrates such as soluble heparin, dextran surfate, fucoidan, and pentosan polysulfate. Chondroitin sulfate E and chondroitin sulfat e A inhibited to a lesser degree and chondroitin sulfate C and dextran did not inhibit significantly. Carbohydrate moieties as well as the n umber and position of negatively charged sulfate groups of sulfated gl ycans were important determinants for the interaction between sulfated carbohydrates and adhesion substances. Adhesion substances of S. vene zuelensis adult worms also bound to negatively charged rat red blood c ells. The binding was significantly inhibited by heparin but not by mo no- or disaccharides. Thus the intraction between red cells and adhesi on substances was electrostatic in nature, but did not involve lectin- sugar interactions. (C) 1998 Academic Press.