Journal article
Alternating phenotypic expression of two classes of Trichomonas vaginalis surface markers
Reviews of infectious diseases, Vol.10 Suppl 2, pp.S408-S412
07/1988
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/111809
PMID: 3055209
Abstract
The antigenic heterogeneity of Trichomonas vaginalis is due in part to the membrane disposition of immunogens (repertoire A) among some but not all isolates and among subpopulations of trichomonads of certain isolates. Heterogeneous T. vaginalis isolates undergo phenotypic variation for the A repertoire of immunogens. The presence of immunogens on (A+ phenotype) or the absence of them from (A- phenotype) trichomonal surfaces clearly influences the virulence traits of the pathogenic human trichomonads. A- parasites, for example, possess an enhanced ability to cause cytadherence-dependent killing of HeLa cells as compared with A+ parasites. A relation between phenotype of repertoire A and adherence was further substantiated by fractionating parasites of a parent T. vaginalis isolate, yielding adherent and nonadherent subpopulations. Trichomonad proteins were identified as putative adhesin candidates (repertoire B); adhesins were synthesized only by adherent (B+ parasites). Flow cytofluorometry of B+ and B- (nonadherent) subpopulations with antibody to proteins of the A repertoire demonstrated corresponding A- B+ and A+ B- phenotypes, respectively. Data support the hypothesis that trichomonads of some isolates of T. vaginalis undergo alternating expression of at least two classes of surface markers.
Metrics
11 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Alternating phenotypic expression of two classes of Trichomonas vaginalis surface markers
- Creators
- J F Alderete - Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7758
- Publication Details
- Reviews of infectious diseases, Vol.10 Suppl 2, pp.S408-S412
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Biosciences, School of
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- AI 22380 / NIAID NIH HHS AI 18768 / NIAID NIH HHS K04 AI 00584 / NIAID NIH HHS
- Identifiers
- 99900547591401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article