IDENTIFICATION AND PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A MYOSIN-LIKE PROTEIN FROM CYSTICERCI AND ADULTS OF TAENIA-SOLIUM USING A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY

The host-parasite relationship in taeniosis due to Taenia solium is pr actically unknown, Monoclonal antibodies were prepared against whole e xtracts of adult T. solium parasites and evaluated with tapeworms reco vered from experimentally infected hamsters and with cysticerci from n aturally infected pigs. With one antibody, mAb 4B3, it was possible to identify, purify and partially characterize a T. solium myosin. Some findings indicate that it corresponds to conventional myosin or myosin type II such as: purification with KCl, high molecular weight, size, structure (dimeric protein with globular and long tail portions), reac tion with commercial anti-myosin antibodies, distribution in muscle fi bres of parasites and cross-reactivity with antibodies against paramyo sin from T. solium cysticerci. The reaction of the mAb was only with t aeniids and not with other parasites. Also myosin was detected in faec es of infected animals and in supernatants of parasite cultures. Its p resence in biological fluids may be useful for diagnosis of infected h osts.