HIGH-PERFORMANCE SDS-POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS OF SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI SOLUBLE EGG ANTIGENS

Proteins of soluble egg antigens (SEAs) among strains of Schistosoma m ansoni from different geographical regions were compared using high pe rformance SDS-polyacrylamide gel capillary electrophoresis (HP SDS-PAG CE). SEAs were prepared from eggs of South African (SA), Eastern Capr ivian (EC) and Puerto Rican (PR) strains, separated by KP SDS-PAG CE, the chromatograms recorded and the molecular masses of constituent pol ypeptides determined. The number of polypeptides was 29, 30 and 31 for the PR, SA and EC strains, respectively. Polypeptides of 47.0, 31.5 a nd 30.7 kDa were common to all three strains. Two other polypeptides ( 99.4 and 18.2) were common to the PR and SA strains compared to three othes (63.0, 47.6 and 19.0 kDa) shared by the EC and SA strains. Intra species differences evident at the protein level among the strains may , to some extent, account for regional varations in the morbidity of i ntestinal schistosomiasis reported for different geographical strains of S. mansoni. With HP SDS-PAG CE, separation can be performed using a smaller volume of sample, fewer reagents and in a fraction of the tim e required for conventional SDS-PAGE.