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Investigators at Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. target parasitology



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2007 NOV 20 -- According to a study from Tokyo, Japan, "The ciliated protozoan Cryptocaryon irritans, a parasite of seawater fishes, was found to express an antigen that elicits antibodies in rabbits and tiger puffer (Takifugu ruburipes). Serum from rabbits and fish immunized with theronts had agglutination/immobilization activity against theronts in vitro; fish serum antibody levels (measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays: ELISA) correlated with this activity."

"Anti-theront antibody levels in fish were significantly higher in the immunized group as compared with control fish at 2 weeks after booster immunization (injection of bovine serum albumin; Student's t-test, P<0 center dot 01). Biochemical analyses indicated that a Triton X-114-soluble 32 kDa theront integral membrane protein may be the agglutination/immobilization antigen. Indirect immunofluorescence staining of theronts suggested that this 32 kDa antigen was expressed on the surface of cilia. The full-length 32 kDa antigen cDNA contained 1147 basepairs, encoding a 328-amino acid protein including hydrophobic N- and C-termini," wrote A. Hatanaka and colleagues, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd..

The researchers concluded: "As with Tetrahymena and Paramecium spp., TAA and TAG appear to be used as glutamine codons in the 32 kDa antigen gene."

Hatanaka and colleagues published the results of their research in Parasitology (Identification and characterization of a putative agglutination/immobilization antigen on the surface of Cryptocaryon irritans. Parasitology, 2007;134(Part 9):1163-1174).

For additional information, contact A. Hatanaka, Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd, Cent. Research Laboratories, 559-6 Kitano Machi, Tokyo 1920906, Japan.

The publisher of the journal Parasitology can be contacted at: Cambridge University Press, 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473, USA.

Keywords: Japan, Tokyo, Parasitology, Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd..

This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.