Isolation of specific antigens fromangiostrongylus cantonensis 1. Preparative flatbed isoelectric focusing

Abstract

Electrophoresis on SDS gel and analytical isoelectric focusing showed that a crude extract ofAngiostrongylus cantonensis consisted of at least 40 protein components with molecular weights ranging from 13000–70000 and isoelectric points of pI values ranging from 3.7–10.0. Crossed-immunoelectrophoresis with a hyperimmune antiserum toA. cantonensis showed at least 40 different antigenic components in the crude worm extract which were cross-reactive with those ofAscaris suum, Metastrongylus apri andToxocara canis. Using preparative isoelectric focusing, the somatic worm preparation was divided into 13 equal fractions, of which 3, 4 and 5, with pI values of 3.7, 4.0 and 4.45 respectively, were later shown by immunoelectrophorectic techniques and enzymelinked immunosorbent assay to contain antigens specific toA. cantomensis.