Differentiation of rodent trypanosomes of the subgenus Herpetosoma by lectins
Maraghi, S.; Molyneux, D.H.; Wallbanks, K.R.
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Official Organ of Deutsche Tropenmedizinische Gesellschaft and of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit 40(3): 273-278
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0177-2392 PMID: 2617032 Document Number: 337156
Trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. musculi, and T. lewisi and trypomastigote and epimastigote forms of T. acomys were differentiated using 34 lectins and the Aminoff test for N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA). Twelve of the lectins failed to agglutinate any of the above species. The number of lectins which agglutinated each species differed; T. microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. musculi, T. lewisi and T. acomys (trypomastigote and epimastigote forms) were agglutinated by 7, 14, 7, 13, 11 and (11 and 10) lectins respectively. Some of the lectins were common in agglutinating all species of parasites: for example Bauhinia purpurea, Caragana arborescens and Viscum album. The minimum concentration of lectins which agglutinated each parasite was quite different. The agglutinations were cell body-cell body, flagellum-flagellum or flagellum-cell body. Most of the agglutinations were inhibited by their specific carbohydrates. The lowest concentration of NANA was observed in T. lewisi (0.3 micro g/ml) and the highest in T. musculi (4.5 micro g/ml). The concentrations of NANA in T. microti, T. grosi and in T. acomys (trypomastigote and epimastigote forms) were 2, 1.8, 2.9, and (1.4 and 1.2) micro g/ml respectively.