Intraspecific epitopic variation in a carbohydrate antigen exposed on the surface of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infective L3 larvae.

ABSTRACT: The carbohydrate larval antigen, CarLA, is present on the exposed surface of all strongylid nematode infective L3 larvae tested, and antibodies against CarLA can promote rapid immune rejection of incoming Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae in sheep. A library of ovine recombinant single chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragments, displayed on phage, was prepared from B cell mRNA of field-immune sheep. Phage displaying scFvs that bind to the surface of living exsheathed T. colubriformis L3 larvae were identified, and the majority of worm-binding scFvs recognized CarLA. Characterization of greater than 500 worm surface binding phage resulted in the identification of nine different anti-CarLA scFvs that recognized three distinct T. colubriformis CarLA epitopes based on blocking and additive ELISA.

SUBMITTER: Maass DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2742895 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature