The in vitro development of Neospora caninum bradyzoites

Louis M. Weiss, Yan Fen Ma, Sandra Halonen, Milton M. McAllister, Yi Wei Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

Neospora caninum is a recently identified apicomplexan protozoan parasite that is closely related to Toxoplasma gondii. Neospora caninum is of significant economic importance as it causes neurological disease and abortion in numerous animals. Antibodies to BAG1/hsp30 (also known as BAG5), a T. gondii bradyzoite-specific protein, have been demonstrated to react with N. caninum tissue cysts in vivo. Bradyzoite differentiation of N. caninum in vitro was investigated using culture conditions previously utilised for T. gondii in vitro bradyzoite development. Utilising the NC-Liverpool isolate of N. caninum, cyst-like structures developed within 3-4 days of culture of this parasite in human fibroblasts. In addition, an antigen reacting with mAb 74.1.8 (anti-BAG1) and rabbit anti-recombinant BAG1 was demonstrable by immunofluorescence, fluorescence-activated cell sorter, and immunoblot analyses. Expression of this antigen was increased by stress conditions, similar to that which has been described for T. gondii bradyzoite induction. Cyst-wall formation in vitro, as assayed by lectin binding, did not occur as readily for N. caninum as it does for T. gondii.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1713-1723
Number of pages11
JournalInternational Journal for Parasitology
Volume29
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1999

Keywords

  • BAG1
  • BAG5
  • Bradyzoite
  • Cyst
  • Differentiation
  • In vitro development
  • Lectin binding
  • Neospora caninum

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Infectious Diseases

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