Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Molecular Diagnostics Research Institute, Namseoul University, Cheonan 31020, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Department of Microbiology, and Molecular Science & Technology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 443-721, Republic of Korea
  • 3 Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Malaysia
  • 4 Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, Scotland, UK. Electronic address: sutherland.maciver@ed.ac.uk
  • 5 Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Molecular Diagnostics Research Institute, Namseoul University, Cheonan 31020, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: syjung@nsu.ac.kr
Exp Parasitol, 2018 Sep;192:19-24.
PMID: 30031120 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.07.009

Abstract

Amoebae from the genus Acanthamoeba are facultative pathogens of humans and other animals. In humans they most frequently infect the eye causing a sight threatening infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), and also cause an often fatal encephalitis (GAE). A mannose-binding protein (MBP) has been identified as being important for Acanthamoeba infection especially in AK. This lectin has previously been characterized from Acanthamoeba castellanii as consisting of multiple 130 kDa subunits. MBP expression correlates with pathogenic potential and is expressed in a number of Acanthamoeba species. Here we report the purification of a similar lectin from Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and the production of a monoclonal antibody to it. The A. culbertsoni MBP was isolated by affinity chromatography using α-D-mannose agarose and has an apparent molecular weight of 83 kDa. The monoclonal antibody is an IgM that is useful in both western blots and immunofluorescence. We expect that this antibody will be useful in the study of the pathology of A. culbertsoni and in its identification in clinical samples.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.