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C L Jaffe

Publications and source records attributed to C L Jaffe.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Glycoinositol-phospholipid profiles of four serotypically distinct Old World Leishmania strains.

Glycoinositol-phospholipids (GIPLs) are the major glycolipid class and prominant surface antigens of leishmanial parasites. The GIPLs from four serologically distinct Old World strains of Leishmania were characterized to determine inter- and intra-specific differences in these glycolipids. These studies showed that: (1) the major GIPLs of Leishmania topica (LRC-L36) and Leishmania aethiopica (LRC-L495) belong to the alpha-mannose-terminating GIPL series (iM2, iM3 and iM4) that are structurally related to the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchors of both the surface proteins and the abundant lipophosphoglycan (LPG). In contrast, the GIPLs from two Leishmania major strains (LRC-L456 and LRC-L580) belong to the alpha-galactose-terminating GIPL series (GIPL-1, -2 and -3) that are more structurally related to the LPG anchor; (2) the GIPL profiles of the L. major strains differed in that a significant proportion of the GIPL-2 and -3 species (approximately 40% and 80%, respectively) in LRC-L580 are substituted with a glucose-1-PO4 residue, while this type of substitution was not detected in LRC-L456; and (3) all the GIPLs contained either an alkylacyl- or a lysoalkyl-phosphatidylinositol lipid moiety. However, the alkyl chain compositions of different GIPLs within the same strain was variable. In L. major, the major GIPL species contained alkylacylglycerols with predominantly C18:0 and C24:0 alkyl chains, whereas the glucose-1-PO4-substituted GIPLs contained exclusively lysoalkylglycerols with C24:0 alkyl chains. In L. tropica, the major GIPL, iM2, contained predominantly C24:0 alkyl chains whereas the structurally related iM3 and iM4 GIPLs in this strain contained predominantly C18:0 alkyl chains. In L. aethiopica all the GIPLs (iM2, iM3, iM4) contained C18:0 alkyl chains. These data suggest that the synthesis of the GIPLs may occur in more than one subcellular compartment. The possibility that species-specific differences in the predominantly surface glycan structures may modulate the interaction of the parasite with the insect and mammalian hosts is discussed.

Animals↗

Infection of human monocytes by Leishmania results in a defective oxidative burst.

The effect of infection by prototypes from the three major species of Leishmania on the oxidative burst of human mononuclear phagocytes in culture was examined. The presence of intracellular parasites of the three species, L.major, L.donovani and L.mexicana decreased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide anion (O2-) production. This was particularly apparent when infected cells were compared to control monocytes following treatment with IFN-gamma. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction by monocytes was also decreased in infected cells. This morphological analysis of infected monolayers clearly showed that infected monocytes were incapable of reducing the dye as compared to uninfected cells. Decrease in NBT positive cells and production of H2O2 and O2- was related to the degree of infection of the monocyte monolayers. These results suggest that the presence of intracellular Leishmania amastigotes in mononuclear phagocytes decreases the oxidative burst and may contribute to parasite survival. Failure of phagocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease to kill these intracellular parasites also emphasized the importance of the oxidative burst for this function. Nevertheless, the consistent increase in leishmaniacidal effect attained after IFN-gamma treatment of the monocyte monolayers indicates that other non-oxidative mechanisms induced by this cytokine are also important in the killing of these intracellular parasites.

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Pure protein from Leishmania donovani protects mice against both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

A protein purified from Leishmania donovani promastigotes, dp72, was shown to partially protect BALB/c mice against a challenge by this parasite. Immunized mice infected i.v. with 10(7) L. donovani promastigotes showed a 0, 60, and 78% reduction in liver parasite burden compared with the control mice at each time point examined after challenge, 1, 20, and 108 days, respectively. Western blotting demonstrated that the sera from the immune mice, which reacted specifically with dp72 in lysates of L. donovani, cross-reacted with one major band in total homogenates of Leishmania major and Leptomonas collosoma. Lymphocyte proliferation to crude and pure parasite Ag was also examined in mice immunized with dp72. Strong proliferation was found at low concentrations of crude L. donovani Ag (0.5 micrograms/ml) and with pure dp72. Proliferation at higher concentrations to crude L. major and L. collosoma Ag was observed. Little or no reaction (stimulation index < 1.0) was seen with other pure leishmanial Ag, including gp70-2, the promastigote surface protease, and lipophosphoglycan. Depletion in vitro of the CD4+ T cell subset from immune spleen cells abolished proliferation to dp72, whereas depletion of CD8+ T cells enhanced proliferation to the pure Ag. Experiments in vivo showed that immunized mice treated with antibodies to either CD4+, CD8+, both T cell subsets, or to IFN-gamma had larger LPB (178, 173, 176, and 130%, respectively) after challenge with L. donovani than nonimmunized controls. Mice immunized with dp72 but treated with either PBS or mouse Ig showed reduced LPB, 81 and 61%, respectively, compared with the nonimmunized animals. BALB/c mice immunized with dp72 were also protected against L. major which causes cutaneous leishmaniasis. Immunized mice infected with either 10(4) or 10(6) promastigotes did not develop lesions. Limiting dilution assays confirmed the protection.

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Effect of macrophage infection by Leishmania on the proliferation of an antigen-specific T-cell line, TPB1, to a non-parasite antigen.

The ability of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis to inhibit antigen specific T-cell proliferation against a non-parasite polypeptide antigen, poly(LTyr, LGlu)-poly(DLAla)--poly(LLys), was examined. Infection of mouse peritoneal macrophages by promastigotes blocked the proliferation of the T-cell line, TPB1. This effect was correlated with the level of parasite infection, and the timing of macrophage infection and antigen addition. Peritoneal macrophages from both BALB/b and C57BL/6 mice showed reduced ability to serve as antigen presenting cells.

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Phosphorylation of proteins in virulent promastigotes from Leishmania major.

Protein kinases are present in the plasma membrane of the human parasite Leishmania. A marked increase in enzyme activity has been detected as cultures entered into the stationary phase of growth. Since avirulent parasites can be separated from virulent forms by the peanut agglutinin (PNA), we have examined the change in the protein kinase activity of L. major during growth in vitro and the difference in phosphorylation with virulent promastigotes (PNA-) of L. major. Marked similarities were found between the phosphorylation patterns of the logarithmic and stationary phase promastigotes of L. major. On the other hand, when the phosphorylation pattern of those proteins, shared by both the metacyclic (PNA-) promastigotes and the stationary phase cells, was examined, a marked increase in both the total number of phosphoproteins and the extent of their phosphorylation was observed in PNA-. Both the increase in protein kinase activity in the stationary phase parasites and the marked changes in phosphorylation in the highly infective promastigotes, may provide a clue as to the adaptative mechanism which enable promastigotes to survive within the vertebrate host.

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Leishmanial protein kinases phosphorylate components of the complement system.

Externally oriented protein kinases are present on the plasma membrane of the human parasite, Leishmania. Since activation of complement plays an important role in the survival of these parasites, we examined the ability of protein kinases from Leishmania major to phosphorylate components of the human complement system. The leishmanial protein kinase-1 (LPK-1) isolated from promastigotes of L. major was able to phosphorylate purified human C3, C5 and C9. Only the alpha-chain of C3 and C5 was phosphorylated. The beta-chain appeared not to be a substrate for this enzyme. C3b which is formed by proteolytic cleavage of C3 was not phosphorylated by LPK-1. Trypsin treatment of phosphorylated C3 (P-C3) resulted in the disappearance of 32P from the alpha-chain. This was correlated with the conversion of the C3 alpha-chain to the alpha'-chain of C3b, and the appearance of a 9 kDa 32P fragment comigrating with the C3a fragment of C3. P-C3 was more resistant to cleavage by trypsin than nonphosphorylated C3. LPK-1 phosphorylated purified C3a and two synthetic peptides, C3a21R and YA-C3a10R, derived from its COOH-terminal end, which contain the C3a binding site to leukocytes and platelets. LPK-1 did not phosphorylate C3a8R. Phosphoamino acid analysis of the synthetic peptides indicated that serine 71 of C3a was phosphorylated by LPK-1. Treatment of C3 with either methylamine or freeze-thaw C3 (H2O) prevented phosphorylation by the LPK-1 suggesting that substrate conformation may be involved in recognition by the leishmanial enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Serodiagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Portugal: comparison of three methods.

Sera collected in Portugal from 43 dogs were screened for specific antibodies to Leishmania donovani antigens. Three different techniques were compared: an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a competitive-ELISA (C-ELISA) using two species-specific monoclonal antibodies, D2 and D13. By IFA, 22 of the sera examined showed positive reactions, compared with 26 by ELISA or 27 by C-ELISA. There was no direct correlation observed between the serum titre by IFA and the strength of the reaction in ELISA or inhibition in C-ELISA. However, a good correlation was observed between sera identified as positive (95.5%) by all three techniques. Western blotting on leishmanial membranes showed that common antigens with Mr of 26,000 and 70-84,000 were recognized by all infected dog sera, regardless of the serum titre. In large scale studies, ELISAs are preferred to IFA for the rapid diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis because of their greater simplicity.

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Administration of beta-glucan following Leishmania major infection suppresses disease progression in mice.

The potential of beta-glucan (glucan) to suppress the progression of lesions caused by virulent strains of Leishmania major in genetically susceptible BALB/c mice when administered post challenge was evaluated. Glucan particles (glucanp) prepared from Saccharomyces cerevisiae were injected i.v. at 7-day intervals starting 7 days after parasite challenge. Four injections gave a more rapid and a higher extent of suppression than 1, 2 or 3 injections. Mice receiving only parasites, a glucose solution, starch particles or glucanp by the i.p. route showed a progressive increase in footpad thickness and developed ulcerating lesions. An alkali solubilized glucan (glucanas) was injected (50 micrograms, 200 micrograms and 400 micrograms/mouse) 4 times at 4 day intervals either i.v. or i.p. starting four days post parasite challenge. Glucanas injection by either route blocked lesion development; the 50 micrograms treatment had already substantial effects and 400 micrograms in the i.p. route prevented even the initial stages of lesion formation. Touch prints from the lesion area and from the liver of mice receiving 200 micrograms glucanas were amastigote free. The anti Leishmania antibody titre of glucanas treated mice was lower and their sera recognized fewer antigens than that of control Leishmania bearing mice.

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An experimental model for canine visceral leishmaniasis.

Seven mixed-breed dogs were challenged with either promastigotes or amastigotes of Leishmania donovani infantum strains recently isolated from naturally infected dogs. Different routes and numbers of parasites were utilized and each dog was monitored for at least 1 year post-infection. Anti-parasite specific antibody levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbence, immunofluorescence, crossed-immune electrophoresis and Western blotting on crude antigen. Western blotting on two pure parasite proteins, dp72 and gp70-2, was also done. Mitogenic and antigen-specific stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes was monitored; and the haematological, clinical and parasitological parameters measured. Dogs challenged with amastigotes exhibited a more pronounced humoral response to leishmanial antigens. Only in one case was strong antigen-specific proliferation detected. Clinical signs of disease, including hypergammaglobulinaemia, enlarged lymph nodes and the presence of parasites, were also more apparent in the dogs challenged with amastigotes. None of the seven dogs died. Serum antibodies to leishmanial antigens were apparent between 1.5 to 3 months following challenge and correlated with the appearance of enlarged lymph nodes, hypergammaglobulinaemia and the presence of parasites in tissue biopsies. Serum antibodies remained chronically high in these dogs throughout the period of the study. Only one dog (1/3) challenged intravenously with promastigotes and the dog challenged intradermally with amastigotes produced transient antibody responses to leishmanial antigen.

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Extracellular dephosphorylation in the parasite, Leishmania major.

Leishmania major promastigotes were analyzed for the presence of protein phosphatase activity in intact cells and membrane-enriched fractions. Parasite phosphoproteins, phosphorylated in live cells with [gamma-32P]adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and an endogenous leishmanial ectokinase, were dephosphorylated by endogenous protein phosphatase-like activity in intact cells and a membrane-rich fractions. An alkaline phosphatase-like activity was also identified using the artificial substrate, p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP). This activity was localized on the extracellular membrane of intact parasites, as well as in the particulate fraction of lysed cells. The phosphatase activity measure using pNPP had inhibition properties and a pH profile between protein phosphatase and general alkaline phosphatases. This study supports the observation that there is extracellular protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation in L. major which may play a significant role in host cell-parasite recognition and infection.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

Activation of human monocytes via their sIgA receptors.

We have studied the interaction of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) derived from human breast milk with human monocytes. The presence of specific sIgA receptors on the monocyte membrane was confirmed by dose-dependent inhibition of E-sIgA rosette formation and by the binding of iodinated sIgA to monocyte monolayers. Binding was dependent on both the number of monocytes, as well as the amount of [125I]sIgA, and could be inhibited by unlabelled sIgA. Incubation of monocyte monolayers in the presence of increasing concentrations of secretory IgA and F(ab')2 anti-IgA resulted in a dose-dependent increase of the oxidative burst, as measured by H2O2 production. Neither sIgA or anti-IgA alone, nor incubation of IgG with anti-IgA, had any effect on the oxidative burst. These studies indicate that human monocytes have a receptor for sIgA and that specific activation of the monocytes occurs via these receptors.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Extracellular phosphorylation in the parasite, Leishmania major.

Intact promastigotes or cell-free extracts of the parasite Leishmania major were labelled with adenosine 5'[gamma-32P]-triphosphate (ATP). This resulted in the identification of eleven phosphoproteins. [gamma-32P]ATP incorporation into endogenous and exogenous substrates was insensitive to most of the commonly used protein kinase inhibitors and activators indicating that the leishmanial enzyme(s) may represent a new class of kinase(s). In addition, exogenous substrate specificity was inconsistent with the preferences of second messenger-dependent protein kinases. Cyclic AMP had differential effects on phosphorylation in intact cells and lysates. The majority of kinase activity could be attributed to an externally oriented membrane-associated protein kinase(s), as no specific cytosolic phosphoproteins were found and intact cells phosphorylated exogenous substrates. Labelled ATP did not cross the membrane and [alpha-32P]ATP was an unsuitable substrate for the phosphorylation activity. The ectokinase activity on live Leishmania exhibited a different substrate preference when compared to the protein kinase activity in the particulate fraction, suggesting that more than one protein kinase may be present in L. major. Three serine-labelled phosphoproteins were specifically released into the medium. The presence of an ecto-kinase and these released phosphoproteins may play a significant role in host-parasite interactions.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Characterization of two proteins from Leishmania donovani and their use for vaccination against visceral leishmaniasis.

Two proteins from Leishmania donovani, dp72 and gp70-2, have been previously utilized to specifically serodiagnose patients with visceral leishmaniasis. The proteins were shown by ELISA and Western blotting with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to be present in both stages of the parasite. Antibodies to gp70-2 recognize in promastigotes multiple discrete bands of similar m.w. which are common to several isolates of L. donovani. The total amount of Ag and number of bands observed per isolate is not constant. Lectin blots with Con A show gp70-2 to be a glycoprotein. Dp72 shows pronounced microheterogeneity between isolates of L. donovani. The Brazilian isolates examined appear to possess a lower m.w. form (64,000 or 68,000) of this molecule. No reactions were observed with dp72 and lectins in Western blots; and neither tunicamycin, N-glycanase, endoglycosidase H nor F affected the migration of [35S]-methionine-labeled protein on SDS-PAGE. A mAb against dp72 also cross-reacted in Western blots with a 60-kDa protein in Leishmania major, Leishmania aethiopica, and Leishmania tropica. No reaction was observed between the purified promastigote surface protease (gp63) and either monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies produced to dp72 or gp70-2. The ability of the pure proteins to provide protection against a challenge by L. donovani amastigotes was examined. BALB/c mice were immunized with gp70-2 and/or dp72 by using Corynebacterium parvum as an adjuvant. Mice immunized with gp70-2 were not protected; however, mice receiving dp72 showed a 81.1% reduction in the liver parasitemia compared with the adjuvant controls.

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Leishmania tropica: characterization of a lipophosphoglycan-like antigen recognized by species-specific monoclonal antibodies.

Species-specific monoclonal antibodies to Leishmania tropica, T11 and T13-15, recognize membranal and secreted antigens. The membrane form of the antigen migrates on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels with a diffuse molecular weight from 15 to 50 kDa and can be labeled with palmitic acid, myoinositol, galactose, glucosamine, and inorganic phosphate. Both phosphate and sugar-labeled material were isolated from metabolically labeled promastigotes by affinity chromatography on antibodies coupled to Sepharose 4B. No binding to Ricinus communis agglutinin was observed. This material behaves like lipophosphoglycans from other Leishmania but contains unique species-specific epitopes. It is susceptible to cleavage by phospholipase C and after digestion no longer partitions into the detergent phase following a Triton X-114 extraction. All four monoclonal antibodies appear to recognize a carbohydrate epitope on the lipophosphoglycan since periodate treatment of this material bound to nitrocellulose essentially eliminated antibody binding. In addition, T15 binding could be blocked by 5 mM mannose-6-PO4 and fructose-1- or 6-PO4, but not by mannose, glucose, fructose, or the additional PO4 derivatives examined. The antibodies recognize a similar but not identical epitope, as demonstrated by a competitive radioimmunoassay using 125I-labeled T11, T13, and T15. Expression of surface antigen is elevated during the promastigote stationary phase.

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Lipophosphoglycan and secreted acid phosphatase of Leishmania tropica share species-specific epitopes.

Several species-specific monoclonal antibodies (T11, T13-T15) which only react with Leishmania tropica, recognize phosphorlated carbohydrate epitopes on lipophosphoglycan and the structurally related molecule, phosphoglycan, which is shed by promastigotes into spent culture medium. During immunoaffinity isolation of [32P]orthophosphate-labeled phosphoglycan on monoclonal antibody T15 conjugated to Sepharose 4B, a high-Mr component (approx. 200,000) was co-purified. The latter material is metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine and [3H]glucosamine. This glycoprotein was separated from phosphoglycan by chromatography on lentil lectin resin. The glycoprotein exhibited a L-tatrate-sensitive acid phosphatase activity, typical of secreted acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) from Leishmania. Monospecific antibodies to Leishmania donovani-secreted acid phosphatase selectively precipitated the L. tropica enzyme from immunoaffinity purified mixtures of the two antigens, and monoclonal antibodies to lipophosphoglycan precipitate the pure enzyme. Species-specific monoclonal antibodies to L. major lipophosphoglycan also recognized both L. tropica antigens. Treatment of the acid phosphatase with periodate or phosphodiesterase I abolished binding by the monoclonal antibodies to the pure enzyme. These results demonstrate that the two major secreted glycoconjugates of Leishmania tropica, the lipophosphoglycan and the acid phosphatase, share species-specific phosphorylated carbohydrate epitope(s).

Acid Phosphatase↗

Monoclonal antibodies against leishmanial membranes react with specific excreted factors (EF).

The interaction was examined between two reagents used for the speciation of Leishmania: spent culture-medium excreted factors (EF) and antileishmanial monoclonal antibodies (MCA). Thirty-three MCAs: seven against L. major, five against L. tropica, eight against L. aethiopica, 11 against L. donovani sensu lato and two against all Leishmania species were screened by double diffusion for reactions with EFs representing seven different sub-serotypes (A1,A2,A4,B1,B2,B3 and A3B2). Only five MCAs showed any reactivity. Three MCAs to L. major (T1, T2 and T7) precipitated only sub-serotype A1 and A4 EF, and two MCAs to L. tropica (T11 and T15) precipitated only sub-serotype A2 EF. Leishmania major and L. tropica are both serotype A species. None of the antiL. aethiopica and antiL. donovani MCAs reacted with any of the EF preparations. Both of these species belong to the serotype B. MCAs T11 and T15, the first recorded with a specificity for only sub-serotype A2 EF, were tested further against 28 sub-serotype A2 and three sub-serotype A2B2EFs from L. tropica strains. All 31 EFs formed visible bands with standard rabbit polyclonal antileishmanial serotype A serum. Only 18 of them precipitated with T11 and T15, even though parasite lysates prepared from promastigotes of several non-reactors tested positive with the MCAs. The lack of homogenous reactivity with T11 and T15 among the A2 EFs suggests that the EFs from these strains possess structural differences which affect EF-MCA precipitation.

Animals↗

Parasite antigens recognized by patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Humoral and cell-mediated responses to crude and purified parasite antigens were examined in patients with active cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major. The patients had serum antibody titres against parasite lysates ranging from 1/500 to 1/10,000 and recognized multiple components by Western blotting with molecular weights between 5000 and greater than 200,000. Several components, particularly at 5 and 50 kD, were recognized by most of the patients. The lymphoproliferative responses to two pure antigens, promastigote surface protease and lipophosphoglycan, both considered potential candidates for the development of a human vaccine were measured. No response to promastigote surface protease was observed even at 10 micrograms/ml; however, weak proliferation to lipophosphoglycan was consistently present. T cell blots examining peripheral blood lymphocyte proliferation, showed antigen-specific responses to a 72-82 kD component in promastigote lysates.

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