EXPRESSION OF RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI - APPLICATION ON IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI TEGUMENTAL ANTIGENS

Sm15 and Sm13 are recognized by antibodies from mice protectively vacc inated with tegumental membranes, suggesting a potential role in prote ctive immunity. In order to raise antibodies for immunochemical invest igations, the genes for these antigens were expressed in pGEX and pMal vectors so that comparisons could be made among different expression systems and different genes. The fusion proteins corresponding to seve ral parts of the gene for the precursor of Sm15 failed in producing an tibodies recognizing the parasite counterpart. On the other hand, anti bodies raised against Sm13 MBP-fusion proteins recognized the 13 kDa t egumental protein. Thus the peculiarities of the gene of interest are important and the choice of the expression system must sometimes be de cided on an empirical basis.