The Leishmania infantum PUF proteins are targets of the humoral response during visceral leishmaniasis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

RNA-binding proteins of the PUF family share a conserved domain consisting of tandemly repeated 36-40 amino acid motifs (typically eight) known as Puf repeats. Proteins containing tandem repeats are often dominant targets of humoral responses during infectious diseases. Thus, we considered of interest to analyze whether Leishmania PUF proteins result antigenic during visceral leishmaniasis (VL).

Findings

Here, employing whole-genome databases, we report the composition, and structural features, of the PUF family in Leishmania infantum. Additionally, the 10 genes of the L. infantum PUF family were cloned and used to express the Leishmania PUFs in bacteria as recombinant proteins. Finally, the antigenicity of these PUF proteins was evaluated by determining levels of

SUBMITTER: Folgueira C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2830943 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature